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PINOCCHIO

THIRTEENTH IMPRESSION

The Stories All
Children Love Series

"This edition should be in every child's
room." — Wisconsin Library Bulletin.

GRITLI'S CHILDREN. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
EVELI, THE LITTLE SINGER.

BY JOHANNA SPYRI.

41 CARROTS." BY MRS. MOLESWORTH.
LITTLE ROBINSON CRUSOE OF PARIS.

BY EUGENIE FOA.
CHILDREN OF THE ALPS.

BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
RIP VAN WINKLE AND THE LEGEND

OF SLEEPY HOLLOW.

BY WASHINGTON IRVING.
DORA. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
VINZI. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
HEIDI. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
MAZLI. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
CORNELLI. BY JOHANNA SPYRI.
A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES.

BY ROBERT Louis STEVENSON.
THE LITTLE LAME PRINCE AND OTHER

STORIES. BY Miss MULOCK.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. BY JONATHAN

SWIFT.
THE WATER BABIES. BY CHARLES

KlNGSLEY.

PINOCCHIO. BY C. COLLODI.
ROBINSON CRUSOE. BY DANIEL DEFoE.
THE CUCKOO CLOCK. MRS. MOLESWORTH.
THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN.

BY GEORGE MACDONALD.
THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE.

BY GEORGE MACDONALD.
AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND.

BY GEORGE MACDONALD.
A DOG OF FLANDERS. BY "OUIDA."
BIMBI. BY "OuiDA."

MOPSA, THE FAIRY. BY JEAN INGELOW.
TALES OF FAIRYLAND.

BY FERGUSON HUME.
HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES.
THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON.

Per Volume, $1.50

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HE SAW HIS YELLOW WIG IN THE PUPPETS HAND

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PINOCCHIO

THE STORY OF A PUPPET

"C. COLLODI"
(CARLO LORENZINI)

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY

MARIA L. KIRK

PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

Til YORK

PUBLIC LIL

TIL;
B

COPYKIOHT, 1914, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS

PHILADELPHIA. U. S. A.

INTRODUCTION

seems to be no game more be-
loved of children in all lands and all
times than the one called Pretend. Toy-
soldiers for the boy, and dolls- — few or many —
for the girl supply the only raw material re-
quired to play this, for of course the charm of
the game lies largely in the imagination of the
doughty captain who endows his men with life
and ability to go through exciting manoeuvres ;
and in that of the miniature mother who directs
so wisely the behaviour of her family.

After we grow up we are astonished to
learn that this game originated with the old
Greeks hundreds of years back, who used to
make little jointed puppets of wood or card-
board representing men and women, moving
them about in a life-like fashion which was
hugely entertaining to both old and young. So
popular was the game that soon the Romans
wanted to play, too, and then later on the
Italians, French and English made puppets for
their countries, only they called these little
figures marionettes.

Shakespeare alludes to this form of diver-
sion in his plays, as do other distinguished
writers of those times. The beautiful opera

4 INTRODUCTION

Faust really owes its existence to the marion-
ette-play by the same name which for many
generations delighted the German people and
gave Goethe the idea for his opera. And who
can doubt but that the wonderful mechanical
doll Ophelia in Offenbach's operatic master-
piece, The Tales of Hoffman, is a direct de-
scendant of those primitive puppets?

In Italy puppet-plays have survived up to
the present, having reached a quite high degree
of artistic perfection. In our own country the
most familiar street puppet-show is Punch and
Judy — not forgetting their delectable baby —
and wherever this appears it never fails to draw
shrieks of laughter from the audience.

Pinocchio is by all odds the best puppet-
story to be found anywhere, and we sigh in
sympathy with the funny little chap's scrapes
and punishments, or chuckle at his pranks,
while we feel like exclaiming, " Why, how much
Pinocchio must have been like met"

The author of this captivating tale, Signor
Lorenzini, or " Collodi " — as he liked to call
himself after his native town in Italy — lived
during the Nineteenth Century (1826-90) and
devoted himself to writing and education, be-
lieving that one pleasing way to teach was
through the puppet-plays.

LOUISE R. BULL

CONTENTS

CHAPTEB PAGE

I. How it Came to Pass that Master Cherry the Car-
penter Found a Piece of Wood that Laughed and
Cried Like a Child 11

II. Master Cherry Makes a Present of the Piece of Wood
to His Friend Geppetto, Who Takes it to Make for
Himself a Wonderful Puppet, that Shall Know How
to Dance, and to Fence, and to Leap Like an
Acrobat 15

III. Geppetto Having Returned Home Begins at Once to

Make a Puppet, to Which He Gives the Name of
Pinocchio. The First Tricks Played by the Puppet 19

IV. The Story of Pinocchio and the Talking-cricket, from

Which We See that Naughty Boys Cannot Endure
to be Corrected by Those Who Know More than
They do 25

V. Pinocchio is Hungry and Searches for an Egg to make
Himself an Omelet; But Just at the Most Interesting
Moment the Omelet Flies out of the Window 28

VI. Pinocchio Falls Asleep with His Feet on the Brazier,

and Wakes in the Morning to Find Them Burnt Off 32

VII. Geppetto Returns Home, Makes the Puppet New
Feet, and Gives Him the Breakfast that the Poor
Man had Brought for Himself 35

VIII. Geppetto Makes Pinocchio New Feet, and Sells His

Own Coat to Buy Him a Spelling-book 40

IX. Pinocchio Sells His Spelling-book that He May Go and

See a Puppet-show 44

X. The Puppets Recognise Their Brother Pinocchio, and
Receive Him with Delight; but at that Moment
Then- Master Fire-eater Makes His Appearance and
Pinocchio is in Danger of Coming to a Bad End . . 48

6 CONTENTS

XI. Fire-eater Sneezes and Pardons Pinocchio, Who then

Saves the Life of His Friend Harlequin 52

XII. The Showman, Fire-eater, Makes Pinocchio a Present
of Five Gold Pieces to Take Home to His Father,
Geppetto; but Pinocchio Instead Allows Himself to
be Taken in by the Fox and the Cat, and Goes with
Them 57

XIII. The Inn of The Red Craw-fish 64

XIV. Pinocchio, Because He Would not Heed the Good

Counsels of the Talking-cricket, Falls Amongst
Assassins 69

XV. The Assassins Pursue Pinocchio; and Having Over-
taken Him Hang Him to a Branch of the Big Oak . 74

XVI. The Beautiful Child with Blue Hair Has the Puppet
Taken Down: Has Him Put to Bed and Calls in
Three Doctors to Know if He is Alive or Dead 78

XVII. Pinocchio Eats the Sugar, but will not Take His
Medicine: When, However, He sees the Grave-
diggers, Who have Arrived to Carry Him Away,
He Takes it. He then Tells a Lie, and as a Punish-
ment His Nose Grows Longer 83

XVIII. Pinocchio Meets Again the Fox and the Cat, and Goes
with Them to Bury His Money in the Field of
Miracles 90

XIX. Pinocchio is Robbed of His Money, and as a Punish-
ment He is Sent to Prison for Four Months 97

XX. Liberated from Prison, He Starts to Return to the
Fairy's House; but on the Road He Meets with a
Horrible Serpent, and Afterwards He is Caught in
a Trap 102

XXI. Pinocchio is Taken by a Peasant, Who Obliges Him
to Fill the Place of His Watch-dog in the Poultry-
yard 106

CONTENTS 7

XXII. Pinocchio Discovers the Robbers, and as a Reward

for His Fidelity is Set at Liberty 110

XXIII. Pinocchio Mourns the Death of the Beautiful Child

with the Blue Hair. He then Meets with a Pigeon
who Flies with Him to the Seashore, and There He
Throws Himself into the Water to go to the Assist-
ance of His Father Geppetto 115

XXIV. Pinocchio Arrives at the Island of the "Industrious

Bees," and Finds the Fairy Again 123

XXV. Pinocchio Promises the Fairy to be Good and Studious,
for He is Quite Sick of Being a Puppet and Wishes
to Become an Exemplary Boy 132

XXVI. Pinocchio Accompanies His Schoolfellows to the Sea-
shore to see the Terrible Dog-fish 137

XXVII. Great Fight Between Pinocchio and His Companions.
One of Them is Wounded, and Pinocchio is Arrested
by the Gendarmes 141

XXVIII. Pinocchio is in Danger of Being Fried in a Frying-pan

Like a Fish 150

XXIX. He Returns to the Fairy's House. She Promises Him
that the Following Day He Shall Cease to be a
Puppet and Shall Become a Boy. Grand Breakfast
of Coffee and Milk to Celebrate this Great Event. . 157

XXX. Pinocchio, Instead of Becoming a Boy, Starts Secretly
with His Friend Candlewick for the "Land of
Boobies" 167

XXXI. After Five Months' Residence in the Land of Cocagne,
Pinocchio, to His Great Astonishment, Grows a
Beautiful Pair of Donkey's Ears, and He Becomes
a Little Donkey, Tail and All 175

XXXII Pinocchio Gets Donkey's Ears; and Then He Becomes

a Real Little Donkey and Begins to Bray 184

8 CONTENTS

XXXIII. Pinocchio, Having Become a Genuine Little Donkey,

is Taken to be Sold, and is Bought by the Director
of a Company of Buffoons to be Taught to Dance,
and to Jump Through Hoops : but One Evening He
Lames Himself, and then He is Bought by a Man
Who Purposes to make a Drum of His Skin 192

XXXIV. Pinocchio, Having been Thrown into the Sea, is Eaten

by the Fish and Becomes a Puppet as He was
Before. Whilst He is Swimming Away to Save His
Life He is Swallowed by the Terrible Dog-fish .... 204

XXXV. Pinocchio Finds in the Body of the Dog-fish . . .
Whom does He Find? Read this Chapter and You
Will Know 214

XXXVI. Pinocchio at Last Ceases to be a Puppet and Becomes

a Boy 222

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

He Saw his Yellow Wig in the Puppet's Hand Frontispiece

The One who Ate the Least Was Pinocchio 65

The Crow, Advancing First, Felt Pinocchio's Pulse 81

He Began with his Hands and Nails to Dig up the Earth that

He had Watered 99

"Gallop, Gallop, My Little Horse" 119

"What Species of Fish is This?" 154

And They Laughed, and Laughed, and Laughed 190

He Swam with Redoubled Strength and Energy Toward the
White Rock.. . 209

PINOCCHIO

HOW IT CAME TO PASS THAT MASTER CHERRY
THE CARPENTER FOUND A PIECE OF WOOD
THAT LAUGHED AND CRIED LIKE A CHILD

THERE was once upon a time . . .
"A king!" my little readers will in-
stantly exclaim.

No, children, you are wrong. There was
once upon a time a piece of wood.

This wood was not valuable: it was only
a common log like those that are burnt in winter
in the stoves and fireplaces to make a cheerful
blaze and warm the rooms.

I cannot say how it came about, but the fact
is, that one fine day this piece of wood was
lying in the shop of an old carpenter of the
name of Master Antonio. He was, however,
called by everybody Master Cherry, on account
of the end of his nose, which was always as red
and polished as a ripe cherry.

No sooner had Master Cherry set eyes on
the piece of wood than his face beamed with
delight; and, rubbing his hands together with
satisfaction, he said softly to himself:

12 PINOCCHIO

( This wood has come at the right moment ;
it will just do to make the leg of a little table."

Having said this he immediately took a
sharp axe with which to remove the bark and
the rough surface. Just, however, as he was
going to give the first stroke he remained with
his arm suspended in the air, for he heard a
very small voice saying imploringly, " Do not
strike me so hard! '

Picture to yourselves the astonishment of
good old Master Cherry!

He turned his terrified eyes all round the
room to try and discover where the little voice
could possibly have come from, but he saw no-
body! He looked under the bench — nobody;
he looked into a cupboard that was always shut
— nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings
and sawdust — nobody ; he even opened the door
of the shop and gave a glance into the street —
and still nobody. Who, then, could it be?

" I see how it is," he said, laughing and
scratching his wig; " evidently that little voice
was all my imagination. Let us set to work
again."

And taking up the axe he struck a tre-
mendous blow on the piece of wood.

"Oh! oh! you have hurt me!' cried the
same little voice dolefully.

PINOCCHIO 13

This time Master Cherry was petrified. His
eyes started out of his head with fright, his
mouth remained open, and his tongue hung out
almost to the end of his chin, like a mask on a
fountain. As soon as he had recovered the
use of his speech, he began to say, stuttering
and trembling with fear:

' But where on earth can that little voice
have come from that said Oh! oh!? ... Here
there is certainly not a living soul. Is it pos-
sible that this piece of wood can have learnt to
cry and to lament like a child ? I cannot believe
it. This piece of wood, here it is ; a log for fuel
like all the others, and thrown on the fire it
would about suffice to boil a saucepan of beans.
. . . How then? If anyone is hidden inside, so
much the worse for him. I will settle him at

once.'

So saying, he seized the poor piece of wood
and commenced beating it without mercy
against the walls of the room.

Then he stopped to listen if he could hear
any little voice lamenting. He waited two
minutes — nothing; five minutes — nothing; ten
minutes — still nothing!

' I see how it is," he then said, forcing him-
self to laugh and pushing up his wig; " evi-
dently the little voice that said Oh ! oh ! was all
my imagination! Let us set to work again."

14 PINOCCHIO

But as all the same he was in a great fright,
he tried to sing to give himself a little courage.

Putting the axe aside, he took his plane to
plane and polish the bit of wood ; but whilst he
was running it up and down he heard the same
little voice say, laughing:

" Have done ! you are tickling me all over! "

This time poor Master Cherry fell down as
if he had been struck by lightning. When he
at last opened his eyes he found himself seated
on the floor.

His face was quite changed, even the end
of his nose, instead of being crimson, as it was
nearly always, had become blue from fright.

MASTER CHERRY MAKES A PRESENT OF THE PIECE
OF WOOD TO HIS FRIEND GEPPETTO, WHO
TAKES IT TO MAKE FOR HIMSELF A WONDER-
FUL PUPPET, THAT SHALL KNOW HOW TO
DANCE, AND TO FENCE, AND TO LEAP LIKE AN
ACROBAT

that moment some one knocked at the
door.

" Come in," said the carpenter, without
having the strength to rise to his feet.

A lively little old man immediately walked
into the shop. His name was Geppetto, but
when the boys of the neighbourhood wished to
put him in a passion they called him by the
nickname of Polendina,1 because his yellow wig
resembled a pudding made of Indian corn.

Geppetto was very fiery. Woe to him who
called him Polendina ! He became furious, and
there was no holding him.

" Good day, Master Antonio," said Gep-
petto ; " what are you doing there on the floor? '
" I am teaching the alphabet to the ants."
" Much good may that do you."
" What has brought you to me, neighbour
Geppetto? "

1 Polendina. In Italian, pudding of Indian corn

16 PINOCCHIO

;< My legs. But to say the truth, Master
Antonio, I am come to ask a favour of you."

' Here I am, ready to serve you," replied
the carpenter, getting on to his knees.

' This morning an idea came into my head."

" Let us hear it."

' I thought I would make a beautiful
wooden puppet;: but a wonderful puppet that
should know how to dance, to fence, and to leap
like an acrobat. With this puppet I would
travel about the world to earn a piece of bread
and a glass of wine. What do you think of it ? '
' Bravo, Polendina! " exclaimed the same
little voice, and it was impossible to say where
it came from.

Hearing 'himself called Polendina, Gep-
petto became as red as a turkey-cock from rage,
and turning to the carpenter he said in a fury :
' Why do you insult me? '

"Who insults you?"

" You called me Polendina! . . ."

"It was not I!"

" Would you have it, then, that it was I?
It was you, I say! "

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

And becoming more and more angry, from

PINOCCfflO 17

words they came to blows, and flying at each
other they bit, and fought, and scratched man-
fully.

When the fight was over Master Antonio
was in possession of Geppetto's yellow wig, and
Geppetto discovered that the grey wig belong-
ing to the carpenter had remained between his
teeth.

' Give me back my wig," screamed Master
Antonio.

"And you, return me mine, and let us make
friends."

The two old men having each recovered his
own wig shook hands, and swore that they
would remain friends to the end of their lives.
' Well then, neighbour Geppetto," said the
carpenter, to prove that peace was made, " what
is the favour that you wish of me ? '

' I want a little wood to make my puppet;
will you give me some? '

Master Antonio was delighted, and he im-
mediately went to the bench and fetched the
piece of wood that had caused him so much
fear. But just as he was going to give it to his
friend, the piece of wood gave a shake, and
wriggling violently out of his hands struck with
all its force against the dried-up shins of poor
Geppetto.

"Ah! is that the courteous way in which

18 PINOCCHIO

you make your presents, Master Antonio? You
have almost lamed me! . . ."

' I swear to you that it was not I ! ..."
( Then you would have it that it was I ? ..."
( The wood is entirely to blame ! . . ."
' I know that it was the wood ; but it was
you that hit my legs with it! . . ."
' I did not hit you with it! . . ."
"Liar!"

* Geppetto, don't insult me or I will call
you Polendina! . . ."
"Ass!"
"Polendina!"
"Donkey!"
"Polendina!"
"Baboon!"
"Polendina!"

On hearing himself called Polendina for the
third time Geppetto, blind with rage, fell upon
the carpenter and they fought desperately. •

When the battle was over, Master Antonio
had two more scratches on his nose, and his
adversary had two buttons too little on his
waistcoat. Their accounts being thus squared
they shook hands, and swore to remain good
friends for the rest of their lives.

Geppetto carried off his fine piece of wood
and, thanking Master Antonio, returned limp-
ing to his house.

Ill

GEPPETTO HAVING RETURNED HOME BEGINS AT
ONCE TO MAKE A PUPPET, TO WHICH HE
GIVES THE NAME OF PINOCCHIO. THE FIRST
TRICKS PLAYED BY THE PUPPET

GEPPETTO lived in a small ground-
floor room that was only lighted from
the staircase. The furniture could not
have been simpler, — a bad chair, a poor bed,
and a broken-down table. At the end of the
room there was a fireplace with a lighted fire ;
but the fire was painted, and by the fire was a
painted saucepan that was boiling cheerfully,
and sending out a cloud of smoke that looked
exactly like real smoke.

As soon as he reached home Geppetto took
his tools and set to work to cut out and model
his puppet.

" What name shall I give him? " he said to
himself; " I think I will call him Pinocchio. It
is a name that will bring him luck. I once
knew a whole family so called. There was
Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the mother, and
Pinocchi the children, and all of them did well.
The richest of them was a beggar."

Having found a name for his puppet, he
began to work in good earnest, and he first

20 PINOCCHIO

made his hair, then his forehead, and then his
eyes.

The eyes being finished, imagine his aston-
ishment when he perceived that they moved and
looked fixedly at him.

Geppetto seeing himself stared at by those
two wooden eyes took it almost in bad part, and
said in an angry voice:

' Wicked wooden eyes, why do you look
at me?"

No one answered.

He then proceeded to carve the nose; but
no sooner had he made it than it began to grow.
And it grew, and grew, and grew, until in a
few minutes it had become an immense nose
that seemed as if it would never end.

Poor Geppetto tired himself out with cut-
ting it off; but the more he cut and shortened
it, the longer did that impertinent nose become !

The mouth was not even completed when it
began to laugh and deride him.

'Stop laughing !': said Geppetto, pro-
voked; but he might as well have spoken to
the wall.

"Stop laughing, I say!' he roared in a
threatening tone.

The mouth then ceased laughing, but put
out its tongue as far as it would go.

Geppetto, not to spoil his handiwork, pre-

PINOCCHIO 21

tended not to see, and continued his labours.
After the mouth he fashioned the chin, then
the throat, then the shoulders, the stomach, the
arms and the hands.

The hands were scarcely finished when
Geppetto felt his wig snatched from his head.
He turned round, and what did he see? He
saw his yellow wig in the puppet's hand.

" Pinocchio! . . . Give me back my wig
instantly ! '

But Pinocchio, instead of returning it, put
it on his own head, and was in consequence
nearly smothered.

Geppetto at this insolent and derisive be-
haviour felt sadder and more melancholy than
he had ever been in his life before; and turning
to Pinocchio he said to him:

" You young rascal ! You are not yet com-
pleted, and you are already beginning to show
want of respect to your father! That is bad,
my boy, very bad ! '

And he dried a tear.

The legs and the feet remained to be done.

When Geppetto had finished the feet he
received a kick on the point of his nose.

"I deserve it!' he said to himself; 'I
should have thought of it sooner 1 Now it is
too late!"

He then took the puppet under the arms

22 PINOCCHIO

and placed him on the floor to teach him to
walk.

Pinocchio's legs were stiff and he could not
move, but Geppetto led him by the hand and
showed him how to put one foot before the
other.

When his legs became flexible Pinocchio
began to walk by himself and to run about the
room ; until, having gone out of the house door,
he jumped into the street and escaped.

Poor Geppetto rushed after him but was
not able to overtake him, for that rascal Pinoc-
chio leapt in front of him like a hare, and knock-
ing his wooden feet together against the pave-
ment made as much clatter as twenty pairs of
peasants' clogs.

' Stop him! stop him! " shouted Geppetto;
but the people in the street, seeing a wooden
puppet running like a racehorse, stood still
in astonishment to look at it, and laughed, and
laughed, and laughed, until it beats description.

At last, as good luck would have it, a car-
abineer arrived who, hearing the uproar, im-
agined that a colt had escaped from his master.
Planting himself courageously with his legs
apart in the middle of the road, he waited with
the determined purpose of stopping him, and
thus preventing the chance of worse disasters.

When Pinocchio, still at some distance, saw

PINOCCHIO

the carabineer barricading the whole street, he
endeavoured to take him by surprise and to
pass between his legs. But he failed signally.

The carabineer without disturbing himself
in the least caught him cleverly by the nose —
it was an immense nose of ridiculous propor-
tions that seemed made on purpose to be laid
hold of by carabineers — and consigned him to
Geppetto. Wishing to punish him, Geppetto
intended to pull his ears at once. But imagine
his feelings when he could not succeed in find-
ing them. And do you know the reason? It
was that, in his hurry to model him, he had
forgotten to make them.

He then took him by the collar, and as he
was leading him away he said to him, shaking
his head threateningly:

' We will go home at once, and as soon as
we arrive we will regulate our accounts, never
doubt it."

At this announcement Pinocchio threw him-
self on the ground and would not take another
step. In the meanwhile a crowd of idlers and
inquisitive people began to assemble and to
make a ring round them.

Some of them said one thing, some another.

" Poor puppet! " said several, " he is right
not to wish to return home! Who knows how
Geppetto, that bad old man, will beat him ! . . . "

24 PINOCCHIO

And the others added maliciously :

' Geppetto seems a good man! but with
boys he is a regular tyrant! If that poor pup-
pet is left in his hands he is quite capable of
tearing him in pieces! . . ."

It ended in so much being said and done
that the carabineer at last set Pinocchio at
liberty and conducted Geppetto to prison. The
poor man, not being ready with words to defend
himself, cried like a calf, and as he was being
led away to prison sobbed out:

" Wretched boy ! And to think how I have
laboured to make him a well-conducted puppet !
But it serves me right ! I should have thought
of it sooner ! . . ."

What happened afterwards is a story that
really is past all belief, but I will relate it to
you in the following chapters.

THE STORY OF PINOCOHIO AND THE TALKING-
CRICKET, FROM WHICH WE SEE THAT
NAUGHTY BOYS CANNOT ENDURE TO BE COR-
RECTED BY THOSE WHO KNOW MORE THAN
THEY DO

WELL then, children, I must tell you
that whilst poor Geppetto was being
taken to prison for no fault of his,
that imp Pinocchio, finding himself free from
the clutches of the carabineer, ran off as fast
as his legs could carry him. That he might
reach home the quicker, he rushed across the
fields, and in his mad hurry he jumped high
banks, thorn hedges, and ditches full of water,
exactly as a kid or a leveret would have done
if pursued by hunters.

Having arrived at the house he found the
street door ajar. He pulled it open, went in,
and having secured the latch seated himself on
the ground and gave a sigh of satisfaction.

But his satisfaction did not last long, for he
heard some one in the room who was saying:

"Cri-cri-cri!"

" Who calls me? " said Pinocchio in a fright.

"It is I!"

Pinocchio turned round and saw a big
cricket crawling slowly up the wall.

26 PINOCCHIO

( Tell me, Cricket, who may you be? '

' I am the Talking-cricket, and I have lived
in this room a hundred years and more."

" Now, however, this room is mine," said
the puppet, " and if you would do me a pleasure
go away at once, without even turning round."

' I will not go," answered the Cricket, " un-
til I have told you a great truth."

" Tell it me, then, and be quick about it."
: Woe to those boys who rebel against their
parents, and run away capriciously from home.
They will never come to any good in the world,
and sooner or later they will repent bitterly."

" Sing away, Cricket, as you please, and as
long as you please. For me, I have made up
my mind to run away to-morrow at daybreak,
because if I remain I shall not escape the fate
of all other boys ; I shall be sent to school and
shall be made to study either by love or by
force. To tell you in confidence, I have no
wish to learn ; it is much more amusing to run
after butterflies, or to climb trees and to take
the young birds out of their nests."

" Poor little goose ! But do you not know
that in that way you will grow up a donkey,
and that every one will make game of you? '

" Hold your tongue, you wicked ill-omened
croaker!" shouted Pinocchio.

But the Cricket, who was patient and phil-

PINOCCHIO 27

osophical, instead of becoming angry at this
impertinence, continued in the same tone:

' But if you do not wish to go to school
why not at least learn a trade, if only to enable
you to earn honestly a piece of bread! '

"Do you want me to tell you?' replied
Pinocchio, who was beginning to lose patience.
"Amongst all the trades in the world there is
only one that really takes my fancy."

" And that trade — what is it? '

( To eat, drink, sleep, and amuse myself, and
to lead a vagabond life from morning to night."

" As a rule," said the Talking-cricket with
the same composure, " all those who follow that
trade end either in a hospital or in prison."

" Take care, you wicked ill-omened croaker!
. . . Woe to you if I fly into a passion! . . ."

' Poor Pinocchio! I really pity you! . . ."
! Why do you pity me? '

" Because you are a puppet and, what is
worse, because you have a wooden head."

At these last words Pinocchio jumped up in
a rage, and snatching a wooden hammer from
the bench he threw it at the Talking-cricket.

Perhaps he never meant to hit him ; but un-
fortunately it struck him exactly on the head,
so that the poor Cricket had scarcely breath to
cry cri-cri-cri, and then he remained dried up
and flattened against the wall.

PINOCCHIO IS HUNGRY AND SEARCHES FOR AN
EGG TO MAKE HIMSELF AN OMELET; BUT
JUST AT THE MOST INTERESTING MOMENT
THE OMELET FLIES OUT OF THE WINDOW

NIGHT was coming on, and Pinocchio,
remembering that he had eaten noth-
ing all day, began to feel a gnawing
in his stomach that very much resembled
appetite.

But appetite with boys travels quickly, and
in fact after a few minutes his appetite had
become hunger, and in no time his hunger be-
came ravenous — a hunger that was really
quite insupportable.

Poor Pinocchio ran quickly to the fireplace
where a saucepan was boiling, and was going
to take off the lid to see what was in it, but the
saucepan was only painted on the wall. You
can imagine his feelings. His nose, which was
already long, became longer by at least three
fingers.

He then began to run about the room,
searching in the drawers and in every imagi-
nable place, in hopes of finding a bit of bread.
If it was only a bit of dry bread, a crust, a
bone left by a dog, a little mouldy pudding of
Indian corn, a fish bone, a cherry stone — in fact

PINOCCHIO 29

anything that he could gnaw. But he could
find nothing, nothing at all, absolutely nothing.

And in the meanwhile his hunger grew and
grew; and poor Pinocchio had no other relief
than yawning, and his yawns were so tremen-
dous that sometimes his mouth almost reached
his ears. And after he had yawned he splut-
tered, and felt as if he was going to faint.

Then he began to cry desperately, and he
said:

" The Talking-cricket was right. I did
wrong to rebel against my papa and to run
away from home. ... If my papa was here I
should not now be dying of yawning! Oh!
what a dreadful illness hunger is! '

Just then he thought he saw something in
the dust-heap — something round and white that
looked like a hen's egg. To give a spring and
seize hold of it was the affair of a moment.
It was indeed an egg.

Pinocchio's joy beats description; it can
only be imagined. Almost believing it must
be a dream he kept turning the egg over in
his hands, feeling it and kissing it. And as
he kissed it he said:

" And now, how shall I cook it? Shall I
make an omelet? . . . No, it would be better to
cook it in a saucer! ... Or would it not be more
savoury to fry it in the frying-pan? Or shall

30 PINOCCHIO

I simply boil it? No, the quickest way of all
is to cook it in a saucer: I am in such a hurry
to eat it!"

Without loss of time he placed an earthen-
ware saucer on a brazier full of red-hot embers.
Into the saucer instead of oil or butter he poured
a little water; and when the water began to
smoke, tac! ... he broke the egg-shell over it
that the contents might drop in. But instead
of the white and the yolk a little chicken popped
out very gay and polite. Making a" beautiful
courtesy it said to him:

" A thousand thanks, Master 'Pinocchio, for
saving me the trouble of breaking the shell.
Adieu until we meet again. Keep well, and my
best compliments to all at home! '

Thus saying it spread its wings, darted
through the open window, and flying away was
lost to sight.

The poor puppet stood as if he had been
bewitched, with his eyes fixed, his mouth open,
and the egg-shell in his hand. Recovering,
however, from his first stupefaction, he began
to cry and scream, and to stamp his feet on
the floor in desperation, and amidst his sobs
he said:

" Ah ! indeed the Talking-cricket was right.
If I had not run away from home, and if my
papa was here, I should not now be dying of

PINOCCHIO 31

hunger! Oh! what a dreadful illness hunger
is! . . ."

And as his stomach cried out more than
ever and he did not know how to quiet it, he
thought he would leave the house and make an
excursion in the neighbourhood in hopes of
finding some charitable person who would give
him a piece of bread.

PINOCCHIO FALLS ASLEEP WITH HIS FEET ON
THE BRAZIER, AND WAKES IN THE MORNING
TO FIND THEM BURNT OFF

IT was a wild and stormy winter's night.
The thunder was tremendous and the
lightning so vivid that the sky seemed on
fire. A bitter blusterous wind whistled angrily,
and raising clouds of dust swept over the coun-
try, causing the trees to creak and groan as it
passed.

Pinocchio had a great fear of thunder, but
hunger was stronger than fear. He therefore
closed the house door and made a rush for the
village, which he reached in a hundred bounds,
with his tongue hanging out and panting for
breath, like a dog after game.

But he found it all dark and deserted. The
shops were closed, the windows shut, and there
was not so much as a dog in the street. It
seemed the land of the dead.

Pinocchio, urged by desperation and hun-
ger, laid hold of the bell of a house and began
to peal it with all his might, saying to himself :

" That will bring somebody."

And so it did. A little old man appeared
at a window with a nightcap on his head, and
called to him angrily:

PINOCCH1O 33

' What do you want at such an hour? "
' Would you be kind enough to give me a
little bread?"

' Wait there, I will be back directly," said
the little old man, thinking he had to do with one
of those rascally boys who amuse themselves
at night by ringing the house bells to rouse
respectable people who are sleeping quietly.

After half a minute the window was again
opened, and the voice of the same little old man
shouted to Pinocchio :

' Come underneath and hold out your cap."

Pinocchio pulled off his cap; but just as he
held it out an enormous basin of water was
poured down on him, watering him from head
to foot as if he had been a pot of dried-up
geraniums.

He returned home like a wet chicken quite
exhausted with fatigue and hunger; and hav-
ing no longer strength to stand, he sat down
and rested his damp and muddy feet nn a
brazier full of burning embers.

And then he fell asleep ; and whilst he slept
his feet, which were wooden, took fire, and
little by little they burnt away and became
cinders.

Pinocchio continued to sleep and to snore
as if his feet belonged to some one else. At

34 PINOCCHIO

last about daybreak he awoke because some
one was knocking at the door.

"Who is there?" he asked, yawning and
rubbing his eyes.

" It is I! " answered a voice.

And the voice was Geppetto's voice.

VII

GEPPETTO RETURNS HOME, AND CITES THE
PUPPET THE BREAKFAST THAT THE POOR
MAN HAD BROUGHT FOR HIMSELF

POOR Pinocchio, whose eyes were still half
shut from sleep, had not as yet discov-
ered that his feet were burnt off. The
moment, therefore, that he heard his father's
voice he slipped off his stool to run and open
the door ; but after stumbling two or three times
he fell his whole length on the floor.

And the noise he made in falling was as
if a sack of wooden ladles had been thrown
from a fifth story.

' Open the door! " shouted Geppetto from
the street.

' Dear papa, I cannot," answered the pup-
pet, crying and rolling about on the ground.

1 Why cannot you ? '

' Because my feet have been eaten."

' And who has eaten your feet? "

1 The cat," said Pinocchio, seeing the cat,
who was amusing herself by making some shav-
ings dance with her forepaws.

' Open the door, I tell you ! " repeated Gep-
petto angrily. " If you do not, when I get
into the house you shall have the cat from
me!"

36 PINOCCHIO

" I cannot stand up, believe me. Oh, poor
me ! poor me ! I shall have to walk on my knees
for the rest of my life! . . ."

Geppetto, believing that all this lamenta-
tion was only another of the puppet's tricks,
thought of a means of putting an end to it,
and climbing up the wall he got in at the
window.

He was very angry, and at first he did
nothing but scold ; but when he saw his Pinoc-
chio lying on the ground and really without
feet he was quite overcome. He took him in
his arms and began to kiss and caress him and
to say a thousand endearing things to him, and
as the big tears ran down his cheeks, he said,
sobbing:

' My little Pinocchio ! how did you manage
to burn your feet? '

" I don't know, papa, but believe me it has
been an infernal night that I shall remember
as long as I live. It thundered and lightened,
and I was very hungry, and then the Talking
cricket said to me : ' It serves you right ; yon
have been wicked and you deserve it,' and I
said to him : ' Take care, Cricket ! ' . . . and he
said : ' You are a puppet and you have a wooden
head,' and I threw the handle of a hammer at
him, and he died, but the fault was his, for I
.didn't wish to kill him, and the proof of it is

PINOCCHIO 37

that I put an earthenware saucer on a brazier
of burning embers, but a chicken flew out and
said: 'Adieu until we meet again, and many
compliments to all at home ' : and I got still
more hungry, for which reason that little old
man in a nightcap opening the window said
to me: ' Come underneath and hold out your
hat,' and poured a basinful of water on my
head, because asking for a little bread isn't a
disgrace, is it? and I returned home at once,
and because I was always very hungry I put
my feet on the brazier to dry them, and then
you returned, and I found they were burnt
off, and I am always hungry, but I have no
longer any feet! Ih! Ih! Ih! Ih! . . ." And
poor Pinocchio began to cry and to roar so
loudly that he was heard five miles off.

Geppetto, who from all this jumbled ac-
count had only understood one thing, which
was that the puppet was dying of hunger, drew
from his pocket three pears, and giving them
to him said:

These three pears were intended for my
breakfast; but I will give them to you. Eat
them, and I hope they will do you good."

' If you wish me to eat them, be kind
enough to peel them for me."

Peel them?" said Geppetto, astonished.
' I should never have thought, my boy, that

38 PINOCCHIO

you were so dainty and fastidious. That is
bad! In this world we should accustom our-
selves from childhood to like and to eat every-
thing, for there is no saying to what we may
be brought. There are so many chances! . . ."
You are no doubt right," interrupted
Pinocchio, " but I will never eat fruit that has
not been peeled. I cannot bear rind."

So that good Geppetto fetched a knife,
and arming himself with patience peeled the
three pears, and put the rind on a corner of the
table.

Having eaten the first pear in two mouth-
fuls, Pinocchio was about to throw away the
core ; but Geppetto caught hold of his arm and
said to him :

" Do not throw it away; in this world every-
thing may be of use."

" But core I am determined I will not eat,"
shouted the puppet, turning upon him like a
viper.

" Who knows ! there are so many chances !
. . ." repeated Geppetto without losing his
temper.

And so the three cores, instead of being
thrown out of the window, were placed on the
corner of the table together with the three
rinds.

Having eaten, or rather having devoured

PINOCCHIO 39

the three pears, Pinocchio yawned tremen-
dously, and then said in a fretful tone :

" I am as hungry as ever! '

" But, my boy, I have nothing more to give
you!"

" Nothing, really nothing? '

" I have only the rind and the cores of the
three pears."

" One must have patience! " said Pinocchio;
" if there is nothing else I will have to eat a

rind."

And he began to chew it. At first he made
a wry face; but then one after another he
quickly disposed of the rinds: and after the
rinds even the cores, and when he had eaten up
everything he clapped his hands on his sides
in his satisfaction, and said joyfully:
" Ah ! now I feel comfortable."
" You see now," observed Geppetto, " that
I was right when I said to you that it did not
do to accustom ourselves to be too particular
or too dainty in our tastes. We can never
know, my dear boy, what may happen to us.
There are so many chances! . . ."

VIII

GEPPETTO MAKES PINOCCHIO NEW FEET, AND
SELLS HIS OWN COAT TO BUY HIM A SPELLING-
BOOK

NO sooner had the puppet appeased his
hunger than he began to cry and to
grumble because he wanted a pair of
new feet.

But Geppetto, to punish him for his naugh-
tiness, allowed him to cry and to despair for
half the day. He then said to him:

" Why should I make you new feet? To
enable you to escape again from home? '

" I promise you," said the puppet, sobbing,
" that for the future I will be good."

" All boys," replied Geppetto, " when they
are bent upon obtaining something, say the
same thing."

" I promise you that I will go to school,
and that I will study and earn a good char-
acter."

" All boys, when they are bent on obtain-
ing something, repeat the same story."

"But I am not like other boys! I am
better than all of them and I always speak the
truth. I promise you, papa, that I will learn
a trade, and that I will be the consolation and
the staff of your old age."

PINOCCHIO 41

Geppetto, although he put on a severe face,
had his eyes full of tears and his heart big with
sorrow at seeing his poor Pinocchio in such a
pitiable state. He did not say another word,
but taking his tools and two small pieces of
well-seasoned wood he set to work with great
diligence.

In less than an hour the feet were finished :
two little feet — swift, well-knit, and nervous.
They might have been modelled by an artist
of genius.

Geppetto then said to the puppet:

" Shut your eyes and go to sleep! '

And Pinocchio shut his eyes and pretended
to be asleep.

And whilst he pretended to sleep, Gep-
petto, with a little glue which he had melted
in an egg-shell, fastened his feet in their place,
and it was so well done that not even a trace
could be seen of where they were joined.

No sooner had the puppet discovered that
he had feet than he jumped down from the
table on which he was lying, and began to
spring and to cut a thousand capers about the
room, as if he had gone mad with delight.

" To reward you for what you have done
for me," said Pinocchio to his father, " I will
go to school at once."

" Good boy."

42 PINOCCHIO

' But to go to school I shall want some
clothes."

Geppetto, who was poor, and who had not
so much as a farthing in his pocket, then made
him a little dress of flowered paper, a pair of
shoes from the bark of a tree, and a cap of the
crumb of bread.

Pinocchio ran immediately to look at him-
self in a crock of water, and he was so pleased
with his appearance that he said, strutting
about like a peacock:

" I look quite like a gentleman! '

" Yes, indeed," answered Geppetto, " for
bear in mind that it is not fine clothes that make
the gentleman, but rather clean clothes."

" By the bye," added the puppet, " to go
to school I am still in want — indeed I am with-
out the best thing, and the most important."

"And what is it?"

" I have no Spelling-book."

" You are right: but what shall we do to
get one? '

' It is quite easy. We have only to go to
the bookseller's and buy it."

"And the money?'

" I have got none."

" No more have I," added the good man.

And Pinocchio, although he was a very
merry boy, became sad also; because poverty,

PINOCCHIO 43

when it is real poverty, is understood by every-
body— even by boys.

" Well, patience! " exclaimed Geppetto, all
at once rising to his feet, and putting on his
old fustian coat, all patched and darned, he ran
out of the house.

He returned shortly, holding in his hand a
Spelling-book for Pinocchio, but the old coat
was gone. The poor man was in his shirt
sleeves, and out of doors it was snowing.

" And the coat, papa? '

" I have sold it."

" Why did you sell it? "

" Because I found it too hot."

Pinocchio understood this answer in an
instant, and unable to restrain the impulse of
his good heart he sprang up, and throwing his
arms round Geppetto's neck he began kissing
him again and again.

PINOCCHIO SELLS HIS SPELLING-BOOK THAT HE
MAY GO AND SEE A PUPPET-SHOW

A soon as it had done snowing Pinocchio
set out for school with his fine Spelling-
book under his arm. As he went along
he began to imagine a thousand things in his
little brain, and to build a thousand castles in
the air, one more beautiful than the other.

And talking to himself he said :

" To-day at school I will learn to read at
once ; then to-morrow I will begin to write, and
the day after to-morrow to cipher. Then with
my acquirements I will earn a great deal of
money, and with the first money I have in
my pocket I will immediately buy for my papa
a beautiful new cloth coat. But what am I
saying? Cloth, indeed! It shall be all made
of gold and silver, and it shall have diamond
buttons. That poor man really deserves it;
for to buy me books and have me taught he
has remained in his shirt sleeves. . . . And in
this cold! It is only fathers who are capable
of such sacrifices! . . ."

Whilst he was saying this with great emo-
tion he thought that he heard music in the dis-
tance that sounded like fifes and the beating
of a big drum: fi-fi-fi.f fi-fi-fi, zum, zum, zum,

PINOCCHIO 45

He stopped and listened. The sounds came
from the end of a cross street that took to a
little village on the seashore.

" What can that music be? What a pity
that I have to go to school, or else . . ."

And he remained irresolute. It was, how-
ever, necessary to come to a decision. Should
he go to school? or should he go after the fifes?

" To-day I will go and hear the fifes, and
to-morrow I will go to school," finally decided
the young scapegrace, shrugging his shoulders.

The more he ran the nearer came the sounds
of the fifes and the beating of the big drum:
fi-fi-fi, zum, zum, zum; zum.

At last he found himself in the middle of a
square quite full of people, who were all crowd-
ing round a building made of wood and canvas,
and painted a thousand colours.

" What is that building? " asked Pinocchio,
turning to a little boy who belonged to the place.

" Read the placard — it is all written — and
then you will know."

" I would read it willingly, but it so hap-
pens that to-day I don't know how to read."

" Bravo, blockhead ! Then I will read it to
you. The writing on that placard in those
letters red as fire is :

* GREAT PUPPET THEATRE ' "

Has the play begun long? '

46 PINOCCHIO

" It is beginning now."

' How much does it cost to go in? '

" Twopence."

Pinocchio, who was in a fever of curiosity,
lost all control of himself, and without any
shame he said to the boy to whom he was talking :
' Would you lend me twopence until to-
morrow? '

" I would lend them to you willingly," said
the other, taking him off, " but it so happens
that to-day I cannot give them to you."

" I will sell you my jacket for twopence,"
the puppet then said to him.

" What do you think that I could do with
a jacket of flowered paper? If there was rain
and it got wet, it would be impossible to get it
off my back."

" Will you buy my shoes? '

" They would only be of use to light the
fire."

' How much will you give me for my cap ? '

" That would be a wonderful acquisition in-
deed ! A cap of bread crumb ! There would be
a risk of the mice coming to eat it whilst it was
on my head."

Pinocchio was on thorns. He was on the
point of making another offer, but he had not
the courage. He hesitated, felt irresolute and
remorseful. At last he said :

PINOCCHIO 47

" Will you give me twopence for this new
Spelling-book? '

" I am a boy and I don't buy from boys,"
replied his little interlocutor, who had much
more sense than he had.

" I will buy the Spelling-book for two-
pence," called out a hawker of old clothes, who
had been listening to the conversation.

And the book was sold there and then. And
to think that poor Geppetto had remained at
home trembling with cold in his shirt sleeves,
that he might buy his son a Spelling-book!

THE PUPPETS RECOGNISE THEIR BROTHER PINOC-
CHIO, AND RECEIVE HIM WITH DELIGHT ; BUT
AT THAT MOMKNT THEIR MASTER FIRE-
EATER MAKES HIS APPEARANCE AND PINOC-
CHIO IS IN DANGER OF COMING TO A BAD END

WHEN Phiocchio came into the little
puppet theatre, an incident occurred
that almost produced a revolution.

I must tell you that the curtain was drawn
up, and the play had already begun.

On the stage Harlequin and Punchinello
were as usual quarrelling with each other, and
threatening every moment to come to blows.

The audience, all attention, laughed till they
were ill as they listened to the bickerings of
these two puppets, who gesticulated and abused
each other so naturally that they mi^bt have
been two reasonable beings, and two persons
of the world.

All at once Harlequin stopped short, and
turning to the public he pointed with his hand
to some one far down in the pit, and exclaimed
in a dramatic tone :

" Gods of the firmament! do I dream, or
am I awake? But surely that is Pinocchio ! . . ."

" It is indeed Pinocchio ! " cried Punchinello.

PINOCCfflO 49

"It is indeed himself!" screamed Miss
Rose, peeping from behind the scenes.

" It is Pinocchio! it is Pinocchio! " shouted
all the puppets in chorus, leaping from all sides
on to the stage. " It is Pinocchio! It is our
brother Pinocchio! Long live Pinocchio! . . ."

" Pinocchio, come up here to me," cried
Harlequin, " and throw yourself into the arms
of your wooden brothers! '

At this affectionate invitation Pinocchio
made a leap from the end of the pit into the
reserved seats; another leap landed him on the
head of the leader of the orchestra, and he then
sprang upon the stage.

The embraces, the hugs, the friendly
pinches, and the demonstrations of warm broth-
erly affection that Pinocchio received from the
excited crowd of actors and actresses of the
pupped dramatic company beat description.

The sight was doubtless a moving one, but
the public in the pit, finding that the play was
stopped, became impatient, and began to shout:
" We will have the play — go on with the play! '

It was all breath thrown away. The pup-
pets, instead of continuing the recital, re-
doubled their noise and outcries, and putting
Pinocchio on their shoulders they carried him
in triumph before the footlights.

At that moment out came the showman.

50 PINOCCHIO

He was very big, and so ugly that the sight
of him was enough to frighten anyone. His
beard was as black as ink, and so long that it
reached from his chin to the ground. I need
only say that he trod upon it when he walked.
His mouth was as big as an oven, and his eyes
were like two lanterns of red glass with lights
burning inside them. He carried a large whip
made of snakes and foxes' tails twisted to-
gether, which he cracked constantly.

At his unexpected appearance there was a
profound silence : no one dared to breathe. A
fly might have been heard in the stillness. The
poor puppets of both sexes trembled like so
many leaves.

" Why have you come to raise a disturbance
in my theatre? " asked the showman of Pinoc-
chio, in the gruff voice of a hob-goblin suif ering
from a severe cold in the head.

" Believe me, sir, it was not my fault! . . ."

" That is enough! To-night we will settle
our accounts."

As soon as the play was over the showman
went into the kitchen where a fine sheep, pre-
paring for his supper, was turning slowly on
the spit in front of the fire. As there was not
enough wood to finish roasting and browning
it, he called Harlequin and Punchinello, and
said to them:

PINOCCfflO 51

" Bring that puppet here : you will find him
hanging on a nail. It seems to me that he is
made of very dry wood, and I am sure that if
he was thrown on the fire he would make a
beautiful blaze for the roast."

At first Harlequin and Punchinello hesi-
tated; but, appalled by a severe glance from
their master, they obeyed. In a short time they
returned to the kitchen carrying poor Pinoc-
chio, who was wriggling like an eel taken out
of water, and screaming desperately: " Papa!
papa ! save me ! I will not die, I will not die 1 ..."

FIRE-EATER SNEEZES AND PARDONS PINOCCHIO,
WHO THEN SAVES THE LIFE OF HIS FRIEND
HARLEQUIN

A | AHE showman Fire-eater — for that was
his name — looked, I must say, a ter-
-•- rible man, especially with his black
beard that covered his chest and legs like an
apron. On the whole, however, he had not a
bad heart. In proof of this, when he saw poor
Pinocchio brought before him, struggling and
screaming " I will not die, I will not die! " he
was quite moved and felt very sorry for him.
He tried to hold out, but after a little he could
stand it no longer and he sneezed violently.
When he heard the sneeze, Harlequin, who up
to that moment had been in the deepest afflic-
tion, and bowed down like a weeping willow,
became quite cheerful, and leaning towards
Pinocchio he whispered to him softly:

" Good news, brother. The showman has
sneezed, and that is a sign that he pities you,
and consequently you are saved."

For you must know that whilst most men,
when they feel compassion for somebody, either
weep or at least pretend to dry their eyes, Fire-
eater, on the contrary, whenever he was really
overcome, had the habit of sneezing.

PINOCCHIO 53

After he had sneezed, the showman, still
acting the ruffian, shouted to Pinocchio :

" Have done crying! Your lamentations
have given me a pain in my stomach. ... I feel
a spasm, that almost . . . Etci! etci!" and he
sneezed again twice.

" Bless you! " said Pinocchio.

" Thank you! And your papa and your
mamma, are they still alive? " asked Fire-eater.

"Papa, yes; my mamma I have never
known."

" Who can say what a sorrow it would be
for your poor old father if I was to have you
thrown amongst those burning coals ! Poor old
man! I compassionate him! . . . Etci! etci!
etci! " and he sneezed again three times.

" Bless you ! " said Pinocchio.

" Thank you ! All the same, some compas-
sion is due to me, for as you see I have no more
wood with which to finish roasting my mutton,
and to tell you the truth, under the circum-
stances you would have been of great use to
me! However, I have had pity on you, so I
must have patience. Instead of you I will
burn under the spit one of the puppets belong-
ing to my company. Ho there, gendarmes ! '

At this call two wooden gendarmes imme-
diately appeared. They were very long and

54 PINOCCHIO

very thin, and had on cocked hats, and held
unsheathed swords in their hands.

The showman said to them in a hoarse voice :
: Take Harlequin, bind him securely, and
then throw him on the fire to burn. I am de-
termined that my mutton shall be well roasted."
Only imagine that poor Harlequin! His
terror was so great that his legs bent under
him, and he fell with his face on the ground.

At this agonising sight Pinocchio, weeping
bitterly, threw himself at the showman's feet,
and bathing his long beard with his tears he
began to say in a supplicating voice:
" Have pity, Sir Fire-eater! . . ."
" Here there are no sirs," the showman
answered severely.

" Have pity, Sir Knight! . . ."
" Here there are no knights! '
" Have pity, Commander! . . ."
" Here there are no commanders ! '
" Have pity, Excellence! . . ."
Upon hearing himself called Excellence the
showman began to smile, and became at once
kinder and more tractable. Turning to Pinoc-
chio he asked:

" Well, what do you want from me? '
" I implore you to pardon poor Harlequin."
" For him there can be no pardon. As I
have spared you he must be put on the fire, for

PINOCCHIO 55

I am determined that my mutton shall be well
roasted."

" In that case," cried Pinocchio proudly,
rising and throwing away his cap of bread
crumb — " in that case I know my duty. Come
on, gendarmes! Bind me and throw me
amongst the flames. It is not just that poor
Harlequin, my friend, should die for me! . . ."

These words, pronounced in a loud heroic
voice, made all the puppets who were present
cry. Even the gendarmes, although they were
made of wood, wept like two newly-born lambs.

Fire-eater at first remained as hard and
unmoved as ice, but little by little he began to
melt and to sneeze. And having sneezed four
or five times, he opened his arms affectionately,
and said to Pinocchio:

" You are a good, brave boy! Come here
and give me a kiss."

Pinocchio ran at once, and climbing like a
squirrel up the showman's beard he deposited
a hearty kiss on the point of his nose.

" Then the pardon is granted? " asked poor
Harlequin in a faint voice that was scarcely
audible.

" The pardon is granted! " answered Fire-
eater; he then added, sighing and shaking his
head:

56 PINOCCHIO

" I must have patience ! To-night I shall
have to resign myself to eat the mutton half
raw; but another time, woe to him who
chances! ..."

At the news of the pardon the puppets all
ran to the stage, and having lighted the lamps
and chandeliers as if for a full-dress perform-
ance, they began to leap and to dance merrily.
At dawn they were still dancing.

XII

THE SHOWMAN, FIRE-EATER, MAKES PINOCCHIO
A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD PIECES TO TAKE
HOME TO HIS FATHER, GEPPETTO; BUT
PINOCCHIO INSTEAD ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE
TAKEN IN BY THE FOX AND THE CAT, AND
GOES WITH THEM

"A HE following day Fire-eater called
Pinocchio on one side and asked him :
" What is your father's name? '

' Geppetto."
" And what trade does he follow? '

He is a beggar.'

" Does he gain much? '

" Gain much? Why, he has never a penny
in his pocket. Only think, to buy a Spelling-
book for me to go to school he was obliged to
sell the only coat he had to wear — a coat that,
between patches and darns, was not fit to be

seen."

' Poor devil ! I feel almost sorry for him I
Here are five gold pieces. Go at once and
take them to him with my compliments."

You can easily understand that Pinocchio
thanked the showman a thousand times. He
embraced all the puppets of the company one
by one, even to the gendarmes, and beside him-
self with delight set out to return home.

58 PINOCCHIO

But he had not gone far when he met on the
road a Fox lame of one foot, and a Cat blind
of both eyes, who were going along helping
each other like good companions in misfortune.
The Fox, who was lame, walked leaning on the
Cat, and the Cat, who was blind, was guided by
the Fox.

" Good day, Pinocchio," said the Fox, ac-
costing him politely.

" How do you come to know my name? '
asked the puppet.

" I know your father well."

" Where did you see him? '

" I saw him yesterday at the door of his
house."

" And what was he doing? '

" He was in his shirt sleeves and shivering
with cold."

"Poor papa! But that is over; for the
future he shall shiver no more ! . . ."

" Why?

" Because I am become a gentleman."

" A gentleman — you ! " said the Fox, and
he began to laugh rudely and scornfully. The
Cat also began to laugh, but to conceal it she
combed her whiskers with her forepaws.

" There is little to laugh at," cried Pinoc-
chio angrily. ' I am really sorry to make your
mouths water, but if you know anything about

PINOCCHIO 59

it, you can see that these here are five gold
pieces."

And he pulled out the money that Fire-
eater had made him a present of.

At the sympathetic ring of the money the
Fox, with an involuntary movement, stretched
out the paw that had seemed crippled, and the
Cat opened wide two eyes that looked like two
green lanterns. It is true that she shut them
again, and so quickly that Pinocchio observed
nothing.

' And now," asked the Fox, " what are you
going to do with all that money? '

' First of all," answered the puppet, " I
intend to buy a new coat for my papa, made
of gold arid silver, and with diamond buttons;
and then I will buy a Spelling-book for
myself."

" For yourself? "

Yes indeed : for I wish to go to school to
study in earnest."

" Look at me! " said the Fox. " Through
my foolish passion for study I have lost a leg."

" Look at me! " said the Cat. " Through
my foolish passion for study I have lost the
sight of both my eyes."

At that moment a white Blackbird, that
was perched on the hedge by the road, began
his usual song, and said :

60 PINOCCHIO

"Pinocchio, don't listen to the advice of
bad companions: if you do you will repent
it' "

J. V • • • •

Poor Blackbird ! If only he had not spoken !
The Cat, with a great leap, sprang upon him,
and without even giving him time to say Oh!
ate him in a mouthful, feathers and all.

Having eaten him and cleaned her mouth
she shut her eyes again and feigned blindness
as before.

"Poor Blackbird!" said Pinocchio to the
Cat, " why did you treat him so badly? '

" I did it to give him a lesson. He will
learn another time not to meddle in other
people's conversation."

They had gone almost half-way when the
Fox, halting suddenly, said to the puppet :

" Would you like to double your money? '

" In what way? '

" Would you like to make out of your five
miserable sovereigns, a hundred, a thousand,
two thousand? '

" I should think so! but in what way? '

" The way is easy enough. Instead of re-
turning home you must go with us."

" And where do you wish to take me? '

" To the land of the Owls."

Pinocchio reflected a moment, and then he
said resolutely:

PINOCCHIO 61

" No, I will not go. I am already close to
the house, and I will return home to my papa
who is waiting for me. Who can tell how often
the poor old man must have sighed yesterday
when I did not come back ! I have indeed been
a bad son, and the Talking-cricket was right
when he said : ' Disobedient boys never come
to any good in the world.' I have found it to
my cost, for many misfortunes have happened
to me. Even yesterday in Fire-eater's house I
ran the risk. ... Oh ! it makes me shudder only
to think of it!"

" Well, then," said the Fox, " you are quite
decided to go home? Go, then, and so much
the worse for you."

" So much the worse for you! " repeated the
Cat.

" Think well of it, Pinocchio, for you are
giving a kick to fortune."

" To fortune! " repeated the Cat.

" Between to-day and to-morrow your five
sovereigns would have become two thousand."

" Two thousand! " repeated the Cat.

" But how is it possible that they could have
become so many? " asked Pinocchio, remaining
with his mouth open from astonishment.

" I will explain it to you at once," said the
Fox. " You must know that in the land of the
Owls there is a sacred field called by everybody

62 PINOCCHIO

the Field of miracles. In this field you must
dig a little hole, and you put into it, we will
say, one gold sovereign. You then cover up
the hole with a little earth: you must water
it with two pails of water from the fountain,
then sprinkle it with two pinches of salt, and
when night comes you can go quietly to bed.
In the meanwhile, during the night, the gold
piece will grow and flower, and in the morning
when you get up and return to the field, what
do you find? You find a beautiful tree laden
with as many gold sovereigns as a fine ear of
corn has grains in the month of June."

* So that," said Pinocchio, more and more
bewildered, " supposing I buried my five
sovereigns in that field, how many should I
find there the following morning? '

" That is an exceedingly easy calculation,"
replied the Fox, " a calculation that you can
make on the ends of your fingers. Put that
every sovereign gives you an increase of five
hundred : multiply five hundred by five, and the
following morning will find you with two
thousand five hundred shining gold pieces in
your pocket."

"Oh! how delightful!' cried Pinocchio,
dancing for joy. ' As soon as ever I have
obtained those sovereigns, I will keep two

PINOCCHIO 63

thousand for myself, and the other five hundred
I will make a present of to you two."

" A present to us? " cried the Fox with in-
dignation and appearing much offended.
" What are you dreaming of? '

"What are you dreaming of?' repeated
the Cat.

" We do not work," said the Fox, " for
dirty interest: we work solely to enrich others."

" Others! " repeated the Cat.

"What good people!" thought Pinocchio
to himself: and forgetting there and then his
papa, the new coat, the Spelling-book, and all
his good resolutions, he said to the Fox and the
Cat:

" Let us be off at once. I will go with you."

XIII

THE INN OF THE RED CRAW FISH

"A HEY walked, and walked, and walked,
until at last, towards evening, they
arrived dead tired at the inn of The
Red Craw-fish.

" Let us stop here a little," said the Fox,

' that we may have something to eat and rest

ourselves for an hour or two. We will start

again at midnight, so as to arrive at the Field

of miracles by dawn to-morrow morning."

Having gone into the inn they all three sat
down to table: but none of them had any
appetite.

The Cat, who was suffering from indiges-
tion and feeling seriously indisposed, could
only eat thirty-five mullet with tomato sauce,
and four portions of tripe with Parmesan
cheese ; and because she thought the tripe was
not seasoned enough, she asked three times for
the butter and grated cheese !

The Fox would also willingly have picked
a little, but as his doctor had ordered him a
strict diet, he was forced to content himself
simply with a hare dressed with a sweet and
sour sauce, and garnished lightly with fat
chickens and early pullets. After the hare he
sent for a made dish of partridges, rabbits,

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PUBLIC LIBRARY

A*T*ft, LWMtt AND

•

PINOCCHIO 65

frogs, lizards, and other delicacies; he could
not touch anything else. He had such a dis-
gust to food, he said, that he could put nothing
to his lips.

The one who ate the least was Pinocchio.
He asked for some walnuts and a hunch of
bread, and left everything on his plate. The
poor boy, whose thoughts were continually
fixed on the Field of miracles, had got in antici-
pation an indigestion of gold pieces.

When they had supped, the Fox said to the
host:

" Give us two good rooms, one for Mr.
Pinocchio, and the other for me and my com-
panion. We will snatch a- little sleep before
we leave. Remember that at midnight we wish
to be called to continue our journey."

" Yes, gentlemen," answered the host, and
he winked at the Fox and the Cat, as much as
to say : ' I know what you are up to. We
understand one another! '

No sooner had Pinocchio got into bed than
he fell asleep at once and began to dream. And
he dreamt that he was in the middle of a field,
and the field was full of shrubs covered with
clusters of gold sovereigns, and as they swung
in the wind they went zin, zin, zin, almost as
if they would say : ' ' Let who will, come and
take us." But when Pinocchio was at the most

66 PINOCCHIO

interesting moment, that is, just as he was
stretching out his hand to pick handfuls of
those beautiful gold pieces and to put them in
his pocket, he was suddenly wakened by three
violent blows on the door of his room.

It was the host who had come to tell him
that midnight had struck.

'Are my companions ready?" asked the
puppet.

' Ready! Why, they left two hours ago."

" Why were they in such a hurry? '

' Because the Cat had received a message
to say that her eldest kitten was ill with chil-
blains on his feet, and was in danger of death."

' Did they pay for the supper? '

" What are you thinking of? They are
much too well educated to dream of offering
such an insult to a gentleman like you."

" What a pity ! It is an insult that would
have given me so much pleasure! " said Pinoc-
chio, scratching his head. He then asked :

" And where did my good friends say they
would wait for me ? '

" At the Field of miracles, to-morrow
morning at daybreak."

Pinocchio paid a sovereign for his supper
and that of his companions, and then left.

Outside the inn it was so pitch dark that he
had almost to grope his way, for it was im-

PINOCCHIO 67

possible to see a hand's breadth in front of him.
In the adjacent country not a leaf moved. Only
some night-birds flying across the road from
one hedge to the other brushed Pinocchio's
nose with their wings as they passed, which
caused him so much terror that, springing back,
he shouted: " Who goes there? " and the echo
in the surrounding hills repeated in the dis-
tance : ' Who goes there ? Who goes there ?
Who goes there ? '

As he was walking along he saw a little
insect shining dimly on the trunk of a tree,
like a night-light in a lamp of transparent china.

' Who are you? " asked Pinocchio.

' I am the ghost of the Talking-cricket,"
answered the insect in a low voice, so weak and
faint that it seemed to come from the other
world.

'' What do you want with me ? " said the
puppet.

' I want to give you some advice. Go back,
and take the four sovereigns that you have left
to your poor father, who is weeping and in
despair because you have never returned."

' By to-morrow my papa will be a gentle-
man, for these four sovereigns will have be-
come two thousand."

' Don't trust, my boy, to those who promise
to make you rich in a day. Usually they are

68 PINOCCHIO

either mad or rogues ! Give ear to me, and go
back."

' On the contrary, I'm determined to go on."

" The hour is late !. . ."

' I am determined to go on."

"The night is dark! . . ."

' I am determined to go on."

; The road is dangerous ! . . ."

' I am determined to go on."

' Remember that boys who are bent on
following their caprices, and will have their
own way, sooner or later repent it."

' Always the same stories. Good-night,
Cricket."

" Good-night, Pinocchio, and may Heaven
preserve you from dangers and from assassins."
No sooner had he said these words than the
Talking-cricket vanished suddenly like a light
that has been blown out, and the road became
darker than ever.

XIV

PINOCCHIO, BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT HEED THE
GOOD COUNSELS OF THE TALKING-CRICKET,
FALLS AMONGST ASSASSINS

EALLY," said the puppet to himself
as he resumed his journey, " how un-
fortunate we poor boys are. Every-
body scolds us, everybody admonishes us,
everybody gives us good advice. To let them
talk, they would all take it into their heads to
be our fathers and our masters — all: even the
Talking-cricket. See now; because I don't
choose to listen to that tiresome Cricket, who
knows, according to him, how many misfor-
tunes are to happen to me ! I am even to meet
with assassins ! That is, however, of little con-
sequence, for I don't believe in assassins — I
have never believed in them. For me, I think
that assassins have been invented purposely by
papas to frighten boys who want to go out at
night. Besides, supposing I was to come across
them here in the road, do you imagine they
would frighten me? not the least in the world.
I should go to meet them and cry : ' Gentlemen
assassins, what do you want with me? Remem-
ber that with me there is no joking. There-
fore go about your business and be quiet ! ' At
this speech, said in a determined tone, those

70 PINOCCHIO

poor assassins — I think I see them — would run
away like the wind. If, however, they were so
badly educated as not to run away, why, then,
I would run away myself, and there would be
an end of it. . . ."

But Pinocchio had not time to finish his
reasoning, for at that moment he thought that
he heard a slight rustle of leaves behind him.

He turned to look, and saw in the gloom
two evil-looking black figures completely en-
veloped in charcoal sacks. They were running
after him on tiptoe, and making great leaps
like two phantoms.

' Here they are in reality! " he said to him-
self, and not knowing where to hide his gold
pieces he put them in his mouth precisely under
his tongue.

Then he tried to escape. But he had not
gone a step when he felt himself seized by the
arm, and heard two horrid sepulchral voices
saying to him :

" Your money or your life ! '

Pinocchio, not being able to answer in
words, owing to the money that was in his
mouth, made a thousand low bows and a thou-
sand pantomimes. He tried thus to make the
two muffled figures, whose eyes were only visible
through the holes in their sacks, understand

PINOCCHIO 71

that he was a poor puppet, and that he had
not as much as a false farthing in his pocket.

" Come now! Less nonsense and out with
the money!' cried the two brigands threat-
eningly.

And the puppet made a gesture with his
hands to signify: " I have got none."

" Deliver up your money or you are dead,"
said the tallest of the brigands.

" Dead! " repeated the other.

" And after we have killed you, we will
also kill your father."

" Also your father! "

"No, no, no, not my poor papa!' cried
Pinocchio in a despairing tone ; and as he said
it, the sovereigns clinked in his mouth.

" Ah! you rascal! Then you have hidden
your money under your tongue! Spit it out
at once! '

But Pinocchio was obdurate.

"Ah ! you pretend to be deaf, do you? Wait
a moment, leave it to us to find a means to make
you spit it out."

And one of them seized the puppet by the
end of his nose, and the other took him by the
chin, and began to pull them brutally, the one
up and the other down, to constrain him to
open his mouth. But it was all to no purpose.

72 PINOCCHIO

Pinocchio's mouth seemed to be nailed and
riveted together.

Then the shorter assassin drew out an ugly
knife and tried to force it between his lips like
a lever or chisel. But Pinocchio, as quick as
lightning, caught his hand with his teeth, and
with one bite bit it clean off and spat it out.
Imagine his astonishment when instead of a
hand he perceived that he had spat a cat's paw
on to the ground.

Encouraged by this first victory he used his
nails to such purpose that he succeeded in lib-
erating himself from his assailants, and jump-
ing the hedge by the roadside he began to fly
across country. The assassins ran after him
like two dogs chasing a hare : and the one who
had lost a paw ran on one leg, and no one ever
knew how he managed it.

After a race of some miles Pinocchio could
do no more. Giving himself up for lost he
climbed the stem of a very high pine tree and
seated himself in the topmost branches. The
assassins attempted to climb after him, but
when they had reached half-way up the stem
they slid down again, and arrived on the ground
with the skin grazed from their hands and knees.

But they were not to be beaten by so little :
collecting a quantity of dry wood they piled it
beneath the pine and set fire to it. In less time

PINOCCHIO 73

than it takes to tell the pine began to burn and
to flame like a candle blown by the wind. Pin-
occhio, seeing that the flames were mounting
higher every instant, and not wishing to end
his life like a roasted pigeon, made a stupendous
leap from the top of the tree and started afresh
across the fields and vineyards. The assassins
followed him, and kept behind him without once
giving in.

The day began to break and they were still
pursuing him. Suddenly Pinocchio found his
way barred by a wide deep ditch full of dirty
water the colour of coffee. What was he to
do? " One ! two ! three ! " cried the puppet, and
making a rush he sprang to the other side. The
assassins also jumped, but not having measured
the distance properly — splash, splash ! . . . they
fell into the very middle of the ditch. Pinoc-
chio, who heard the plunge and the splashing
of the water, shouted out, laughing, and with-
out stopping :

' A fine bath to you, gentleman assassins.'*
And he felt convinced that they were
drowned, when, turning to look, he perceived
that on the contrary they were both running
after him, still enveloped in their sacks, with
the water dripping from them as if they had
been two hollow baskets.

THE ASSASSINS PURSUE PINOCCHIO ; AND HAVING
OVERTAKEN HIM HANG HIM TO A BRANCH OF
THE BIG OAK

A this sight the puppet's courage failed
him, and he was on the point of throw-
ing himself on the ground and giving
himself over for lost. Turning, however, his
eyes in every direction, he saw at some distance,
standing out amidst the dark green of the trees,
a small house as white as snow.

" If I had only breath to reach that house,"
he said to himself, " perhaps I should be saved."

And without delaying an instant, he recom-
menced running for his life through the wood,
and the assassins after him.

At last, after a desperate race of nearly
two hours, he arrived quite breathless at the
door of the house, and knocked.

No one answered.

He knocked again with great violence, for
he heard the sound of steps approaching him,
and the heavy panting of his persecutors. The
same silence.

Seeing that knocking was useless he began
in desperation to kick and pommel the door
with all his might. The window then opened
and a beautiful Child appeared at it. She had

PINOCCHIO 75

blue hair and a face as white as a waxen image ;
her eyes were closed and her hands were crossed
on her breast. Without moving her lips in
the least, she said in a voice that seemed to
come from the other world:

' In this house there is no one. They are
all dead."

: Then at least open the door for me your-
self," shouted Pinocchio, crying and imploring.

' I am dead also."

' Then what are you doing at the window? '

' I am waiting for the bier to come to carry
me away."

Having said this she disappeared, and the
window was closed without the slightest noise.
" Oh! beautiful Child with blue hair," cried
Pinocchio, "open the door for pity's sake!
Have compassion on a poor boy pursued by
assas . . ."

But he could not finish the word, for he
felt himself seized by the collar, and the same
two horrible voices said to him threateningly:
You shall not escape from us again ! "

The puppet, seeing death staring him in
the face, was taken with such a violent fit of
trembling that the joints of his wooden legs
began to creak, and the sovereigns hidden under
his tongue to clink.

76 PINOCCHIO

" Now then," demanded the assassins, " will
you open your mouth, yes or no? Ah! no an-
swer? . . . Leave it to us: this time we will force
you to open it! . . ."

And drawing out two long knives as sharp
as razors, clash . . . they attempted to stab him.

But the puppet, luckily for him, was made
of very hard wood; the knives therefore broke
into a thousand pieces, and the assassins were
left with the handles in their hands staring at
each other.

" I see what we must do," said one of them.
" He must be hung! let us hang him! '

" Let us hang him! " repeated the other.

Without loss of time they tied his arms be-
hind Lim, passed a running noose round his
throat, and then hung him to the branch of a
tree called the Big Oak.

They then sat down on the grass and waited
for his last struggle. But at the end of three
hours the puppet's eyes were open, his mouth
closed, and he was kicking more than ever.

Losing patience they turned to Pinocchio
and said in a bantering tone :

' Good-bye till to-morrow. Let us hope
that when we return you will be polite enough
to allow yourself to be found quite dead, and
with your mouth wide open."

And they walked off.

PINOCCHIO 77

In the meantime a tempestuous northerly
wind began to blow and roar angrily and it
beat the poor puppet as he hung, from side to
side, making him swing violently like the clatter
of a bell ringing for a wedding. And the swing-
ing gave him atrocious spasms, and the run-
ning noose, becoming still tighter round his
throat, took away his breath.

Little by little his eyes began to grow dim,
but although he felt that death was near he
still continued to hope that some charitable
person would come to his assistance before it
was too late. But when, after waiting and wait-
ing, he found that no one came, absolutely no
one, then he remembered his poor father, and
thinking he was dying ... he stammered out :

* Oh, papa ! papa ! if only you were here ! '

His breath failed him and he could say no
more. He shut his eyes, opened his mouth,
stretched his legs, gave a long shudder, and
hung stiff and insensible.

XVI

THE BEAUTIFUL CHILD WITH BLUE HAIR HAS
THE PUPPET TAKEN DOWN: HAS HIM PUT
TO BED AND CALLS IN THREE DOCTORS TO
KNOW IF HE IS ALIVE OR DEAD

WHILST poor Pinocchio, suspended
to a branch of the Big Oak, was ap-
parently more dead than alive, the
beautiful Child with blue hair came again to
the window. When she saw the unhappy pup-
pet hanging by his throat, and dancing up and
down in the gusts of the north wind, she was
moved by compassion. Striking her hands to-
gether she made three little claps.

At this signal there came a sound of the
sweep of wings flying rapidly, and a large
Falcon flew on to the window-sill.

" What are your orders, gracious Fairy? '
he asked, inclining his beak in sign of rever-
ence— for I must tell you 'that the Child with
blue hair was no more and no less than a beau-
tiful Fairy, who for more than a thousand
years had lived in the wood.

" Do you see that puppet dangling from
a branch of the Big Oak? '

" I see him."

" Very well. Fly there at once : with your
strong beak break the knot that keeps him sus-

PINOCCHIO 79

pended in the air, and lay him gently on the
grass at the foot of the tree."

The Falcon flew away, and after two
minutes he returned, saying:

" I have done as you commanded."

" And how did you find him? '

" To see him he appeared dead, but he can-
not really be quite dead, for I had no sooner
loosened the running noose that tightened his
throat than, giving a sigh, he muttered in a
faint voice: ' Now I feel better! . . .'

The Fairy then striking her hands together
made two little claps, and a magnificent Poodle
appeared, walking upright on his hind-legs ex-
actly as if he had been a man.

He was in the full-dress livery of a coach-
man. On his head he had a three-cornered cap
braided with gold, his curly white wig came
down on to his shoulders, he had a chocolate-
colored waistcoat with diamond buttons, and
two large pockets to contain the bones that his
mistress gave him at dinner. He had besides
a pair of short crimson velvet breeches, silk
stockings, cut-down shoes, and hanging behind
him a species of umbrella-case made of blue
satin, to put his tail into when the weather was
rainy.

" Be quick, Medoro, like a good dog! " said
the Fairy to the Poodle. " Have the most beau«

80 PINOCCHIO

tiful carriage in my coach-house put to, and
take the road to the wood. When you come
to the Big Oak you will find a poor puppet
stretched on the grass half dead. Pick him up
gently, lay him on the cushions of the carriage
and bring him to me. Have you understood ? '

The Poodle, to show that he had under-
stood, shook the case of blue satin that he had
on three or four times, and ran off like a race-
horse.

Shortly afterwards a beautiful little car-
riage came out of the coach-house. The cushions
were stuffed with canary feathers, and it was
lined in the inside with whipped cream, custard,
and Savoy biscuits. The little carriage was
drawn by a hundred pairs of white mice, and
the Poodle, seated on the coach-box, cracked
his whip from side to side like a driver when
he is afraid that he is behind time.

A quarter of an hour had not passed when
the carriage returned. The Fairy, who was
waiting at the door of the house, took the poor
puppet in her arms, and carried him into a
little room that was wainscoted with mother-
of-pearl, and sent at once to summon the most
famous doctors in the neighbourhood.

The doctors came immediately one after the
other: namely a Crow, an Owl, and a Talking-
cricket

THE CROW, ADVANCING FIRST, FELT PINOCCHIo's PULSE

JFRW T»BJC

PUBLIC UBiARY

PINOCCfflO 81

* I wish to know from you gentlemen,"

said the Fairy, turning to the three doctors

who were assembled round Pinocchio's bed —

' I wish to know from you gentlemen, if this

unfortunate puppet is alive or dead! . . ."

At this request the Crow, advancing first,
felt Pinocchio's pulse; he then felt his nose,
and then the little toe of his foot: and having
done this carefully, he pronounced solemnly the
following words :

; To my belief the puppet is already quite
dead; but if unfortunately he should not be
dead, then it would be a sign that he is still
alive!"

" I regret," said the Owl, " to be obliged to
contradict the Crow, my illustrious friend and
colleague ; but in my opinion the puppet is still
alive: but if unfortunately he should not be
alive, then it would be a sign that he is dead
indeed!"

' And you — have you nothing to say? '
asked the Fairy of the Talking-cricket.

' In my opinion the wisest thing a prudent
doctor can do, when he does not know what he
is talking about, is to be silent. For the rest,
that puppet there has a face that is not new to
me. I have known him for some time ! . . ."

Pinocchio, who up to that moment had lain
immovable, like a real piece of wood, was seized

82 PINOCCHIO

with a fit of convulsive trembling that shook
the whole bed.

' That puppet there," continued the Talk-
ing-cricket, " is a confirmed rogue. . . ."

Pinocchio opened his eyes, but shut them
again immediately.

' He is a ragamuffin, a do-nothing, a vaga-
bond. . . ."

Pinocchio hid his face beneath the clothes.

1 That puppet there is a disobedient son
who will make his poor father die of a broken
heart! . . ."

At that instant a suffocated sound of sobs
and crying was heard in the room. Imagine
everybody's astonishment when, having raised
the sheets a little, it was discovered that the
sounds came from Pinocchio.

f When the dead person cries, it is a sign
that he is on the road to get well," said the
Crow solemnly.

" I grieve to contradict my illustrious friend
and colleague," added the Owl; " but for me,
when the dead person cries, it is a sign that he
is sorry to die."

XVII

PINOCCHIO EATS THE SUGAR, BUT WILL NOT
TAKE HIS MEDICINE: WHEN, HOWEVER, HE
SEES THE GRAVE-DIGGERS, WHO HAVE ARRIVED
TO CARRY HIM AWAY, HE TAKES IT. HE
THEN TELLS A LIE, AND AS A PUNISHMENT
HIS NOSE GROWS LONGER

A soon as the three doctors had left the
room the Fairy approached Pinocchio,
and having touched his forehead she
perceived that he was in a high fever that was
not to be trifled with.

She therefore dissolved a certain white
powder in half a tumbler of water, and offering
it to the puppet she said to him lovingly:

" Drink it, and in a few days you will be
cured."

Pinocchio looked at the tumbler, made a
wry face, and then asked in a plaintive voice:

" Is it sweet or bitter? '

" It is bitter, but it will do you good."

" If it is bitter, I will not take it."

" Listen to me: drink it."

" I don't like anything bitter."

" Drink it, and when you have drunk it I
will give you a lump of sugar to take away the
taste."

" Where is the lump of sugar? '

84 PINOCCHIO

" Here it is," said the Fairy, taking a piece
from a gold sugar-basin.

" Give me first the lump of sugar, and then
I will drink that bad bitter water. ..."

* Do you promise me? '

" Yes "

J_ i/o* • • •

The Fairy gave him the sugar, and Pinoc-
chio, having crunched it up and swallowed it in
a second, said, licking his lips :

" It would be a fine thing if sugar was
medicine! ... I would take it every day."

" Now keep your promise and drink these
few drops of water, which will restore you to
health."

Pinocchio took the tumbler unwillingly in
his hand and put the point of his nose to it:
he then approached it to his lips : he then again
put his nose to it, and at last said :

" It is too bitter! too bitter! I cannot drink
it."

How can you tell that, when you have not
even tasted it? '

" I can imagine it! I know it from the
smell. I want first another lump of sugar . . .
and then I will drink it! . . ."

The Fairy then, with all the patience of a
good mamma, put another lump of sugar in
his mouth, and then again presented the
tumbler to him.

PINOCCHIO 85

" I cannot drink it so!" said the puppet,
making a thousand grimaces.

"Why?'

" Because that pillow that is down there
on my feet bothers me."

The Fairy removed the pillow.

" It is useless. Even so I can't drink it "

" What is the matter now? '

" The door of the room, which is half open,
bothers me."

The Fairy went and closed the door.

" In short," cried Pinocchio, bursting into
tears, " I will not drink that bitter water — no,
no, no! . . ."

" My boy, you will repent it. . . ."

" I don't care. . . ."

" Your illness is serious. . . ."

" I don't care. . . ."

" The fever in a few hours will carry you
into the other world. . . ."

" I don't care. . . ."

" Are you not afraid of death? '

" I am not in the least afraid ! . . . I would
rather die than drink that bitter medicine."

At that moment the door of the room flew
open, and four rabbits as black as ink entered
carrying on their shoulders a little bier.

"What do you want with me?' cried
Pinocchio, sitting up in bed in a great fright.

86 PINOCCHIO

" We are come to take you," said the big-
gest rabbit.

" To take me ? ... But I'm not yet dead ! . . ."

"No, not yet: but you have only a few
minutes to live, as you have refused the medi-
cine that would have cured you of the fever."

" Oh, Fairy, Fairy! " the puppet then be-
gan to scream, " give me the tumbler at once
... be quick, for pity's sake, for I will not die —
no ... I will not die. . . ."

And taking the tumbler in both hands he
emptied it at a draught.

"We must have patience!" said the rab-
bits; " this time we have made our journey in
vain." And taking the little bier again on their
shoulders they left the room, grumbling and
murmuring between their teeth.

In fact, a few minutes afterwards Pinocchio
jumped down from the bed quite well: because
you must know that wooden puppets have the
privilege of being seldom ill and of being cured
very quickly.

The Fairy, seeing him running and rushing
about the room as gay and as lively as a young
cock, said to him:

' Then my medicine has really done you
good?"

" Good, I should think so! It has restored
me to life! . . ."

PINOCCHIO 87

' Then why on earth did you require so
much persuasion to take it? "

' Because you see that we boys are all like
that! We are more afraid of medicine than
of the illness."

;< Disgraceful! Boys ought to know that a
good remedy taken in time may save them from
serious illness, and perhaps from death. . . ."

" Oh! but another time I shall not require so
much persuasion. I shall remember those black
rabbits with the bier on their shoulders . . .
and then I shall immediately take the tumbler
in my hand, and down it will go! . . ."

' Now come here to me, and tell me how
you fell into the hands of those assassins."

' It came about that the showman Fire-
eater gave me some gold pieces and said to me :
' Go, and take them to your father! ' and in-
stead I met on the road a Fox and a Cat, two
very respectable persons, who said to me:
' Would you like those pieces of gold to become
a thousand or two? Come with us and we will
take you to the Field of miracles,' and I said:
' Let us go.' And they said : ' Let us scop at
the inn of the Red Craw-fish,' and after mid-
night they left. And when I awoke I found
that they were no longer there, because they
had gone away. Then I began to travel by
night, for you cannot imagine how dark it was ;

88 PINOCCHIO

and on that account I met on the road two
assassins in charcoal sacks who said to me:
' Out with your money,' and I said to them :
* I have got none,' because I had hidden the
four gold pieces in my mouth, and one of the
assassins tried to put his hand in my mouth,
and I bit his hand off and spat it out, but in-
stead of a hand I spat out a cat's paw. And
the assassins ran after me, and I ran, and ran,
until at last they caught me, and tied me by
the neck to a tree in this wood, and said to me :
' To-morrow we shall return here, and then you
will be dead with your mouth open, and we
shall be able to carry off the pieces of gold
that you have hidden under your tongue.' "

' And the four pieces — where have you put
them? " asked the Fairy.

"I have lost them!" said Pinocchio; but
he was telling a lie, for they were in his pocket.

He had scarcely told the lie when his nose,
which was already long, grew at once two
fingers longer.

" And where did you lose them? '

" In the wood near here."

At this second lie his nose went on growing.

" If you have lost them in the wood near
here," said the Fairy, " we will look for them,
and we shall find them: because everything that
is lost in that wood is always found."

PINOCCHIO 89

" Ah! now I remember all about it," replied
the puppet, getting quite confused ; " I didn't
lose the four gold pieces, I swallowed them
whilst I was drinking your medicine."

At this third lie his nose grew to such an
extraordinary length that poor Pinocchio could
not move in any direction. If he turned to
one side he struck his nose against the bed or
the window-panes, if he turned to the other he
struck it against the walls or the door, if he
raised his head a little he ran the risk of sticking
it into one of the Fairy's eyes.

And the Fairy looked at him and laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" asked the
puppet, very confused and anxious at finding
his nose growing so prodigiously.

" I am laughing at the lie you have told."

" And how can you possibly know that I
have told a lie? '

" Lies, my dear boy, are found out imme-
diately, because they are of two sorts. There
are lies that have short legs, and lies that have
long noses. Your lie, as it happens, is one of
those that have a long nose."

Pinocchio, not knowing where to hide him-
self for shame, tried to run out of the room;
but he did not succeed, for his nose had in-
creased so much that it could no longer pass
through the door.

XVIII

PINOCCHTO MEETS AGAIN THE FOX AND THE CAT,
AND GOES WITH THEM TO BURY HIS MONEY
IN THE FIELD OF MIRACLES

THE Fairy, as you can imagine, allowed
the puppet to cry and to roar for a good
half -hour over his nose, which could no
longer pass through the door of the room. This
she did to give him a severe lesson, and to cor-
rect him of the disgraceful fault of telling lies —
the most disgraceful fault that a boy can have.
But when she saw him quite disfigured, and
his eyes swollen out of his head from weeping,
she felt full of compassion for him. She there-
fore beat her hands together, and at that signal
a thousand large birds called Woodpeckers flew
in at the window. They immediately perched
on Pinocchio's nose, and began to peck at it
with such zeal that in a few minutes his
enormous and ridiculous nose was reduced to
its usual dimensions.

" What a good Fairy you are," said the
puppet, drying his eyes, " and how much I love
you!"

" I love you also," answered the Fairy;
" and if you will remain with me, you shall be
my little brother and I will be your good little
sister. ; . e'*
oo

PINOCCHIO 01

I would remain willingly , , , but my poor
papa? '

' I have thought of everything. I have
already let your father know, and he will be
here to-night."

' Really? " shouted Pinocchio, jumping for
joy. ' Then, little Fairy, if you consent, I
should like to go and meet him. I am so anxious
to give a kiss to that poor old man, who has
suffered so much on my account, that I am
counting the minutes."

' Go, then, but be careful not to lose your-
self. Take the road through the wood and I
am sure that you will meet him."

Pinocchio set out; and as soon as he was
in the wood he began to run like a kid. But
when he had reached a certain spot, almost in
front of the Big Oak, he stopped, because he
thought that he heard people amongst the
bushes. In fact, two persons came out on to
the road. Can you guess who they were? . . .
His two travelling companions, the Fox and
the Cat, with whom he had supped at the inn
of the Red Craw-fish.

" Why, here is our dear Pinocchio! " cried
the Fox, kissing and embracing him. ' How
come you to be here? '

" How come you to be here? " repeated the*
Cat.

92 PINOCCHIO

' It is a long story," answered the puppet,
fc which I will tell you when I have time. But
do you know that the other night, when you
left me alone at the inn, I met with assassins
on the road. ..."

;' Assassins! . . . Oh, poor Pinocchio! And
what did they want? "

' They wanted to rob me of my gold pieces."

" Villains! . . ." said the Fox.
Infamous villains! " repeated the Cat.
But I ran away from them," continued
the puppet, "and they followed me: and at
last they overtook me and hung me to a branch
of that oak-tree. . . ."

And Pinocchio pointed to the Big Oak,
which was two steps from them.

' Is it possible to hear of anything more
dreadful? " said the Fox. " In what a world
we are condemned to live ! Where can respect-
able people like us find a safe refuge ? '

Whilst they were thus talking Pinocchio
observed that the Cat was lame of her front
right leg, for in fact she had lost her paw with
all its claws. He therefore asked her :

" What have you done with your paw? '

The Cat tried to answer but became con-
fused. Therefore the Fox said immediately:

" My friend is too modest, and that is why
she doesn't speak. I will answer for her. I

PINOCCHIO 93

must tell you that an hour ago we met an old
wolf on the road, almost fainting from want of
food, who asked alms of us. Not having so
much as a fish-bone to give him, what did my
friend, who has really the heart of a Caesar,
do? She bit off one of her fore paws, and
threw it to that poor beast that he might ap-
pease his hunger."

And the Fox, in relating this, dried a tear.

Pinocchio was also touched, and approach-
ing the Cat he whispered into her ear :

" If all cats resembled you, how fortunate
the mice would be! '

" And now, what are you doing here? '
asked the Fox of the puppet.

" I am waiting for my papa, whom I expect
to arrive every moment."

" And your gold pieces? '

" I have got them in my pocket, all but one
that I spent at the inn of the Red Craw-fish."

" And to think that, instead of four pieces,
by to-morrow they might become one or two
thousand! Why do you not listen to my ad-
vice? why will you not go and bury them in
the Field of miracles? '

" To-day it is impossible : I will go another
day."

" Another day it will be too late! . . ." said
the Fox.

94 PINOCCHIO

" Why? "

" Because the field has been bought by a
gentleman, and after to-morrow no one will
be allowed to bury money there."

" How far off is the Field of miracles? '

" Not two miles. Will you come with us?
In half an hour you will be there. You can
bury your money at once, and in a few minutes
you will collect two thousand, and this evening
you will return with your pockets full. Will
you come with us ? '

Pinocchio thought of the good Fairy, old
Geppetto, and the warnings of the Talking-
cricket, and he hesitated a little before answer-
ing. He ended, however, by doing as all boys
do who have not a grain of sense and who have
no heart — he ended by giving his head a little
shake, and saying to the Fox and the Cat:

" Let us go: I will come with you."

And they went.

After having walked half the day they
reached a town that was called " Trap for block-
heads." As soon as Pinocchio entered this
town, he saw that the streets were crowded with
dogs who had lost their coats and who were
yawning from hunger, shorn sheep trembling
with cold, cocks without combs or crests who
were begging for a grain of Indian corn, large
butterflies who could no longer fly because they

PINOCCHIO 95

had sold their beautiful coloured wings, pea-
cocks who had no tails and were ashamed to
be seen, and pheasants who went scratching
about in a subdued fashion, mourning for their
brilliant gold and silver feathers gone for ever.

In the midst of this crowd of beggars and
shamefaced creatures, some lordly carriage
passed from time to time containing a Fox, or
a Magpie, or some other ravenous bird of prey.

" And where is the Field of miracles? '
asked Pinocchio.

" It is here, not two steps from us."

They crossed the town, and having gone
beyond the walls they came to a solitary field
which to look at resembled all other fields.

" We are arrived," said the Fox to the pup-
pet. " Now stoop down and dig a little hole in
the ground and put your gold pieces into it."

Pinocchio obeyed. He dug a hole, put into
it the four gold pieces that he had left, and then
filled up the hole with a little earth.

" Now, then," said the Fox, "go to that
canal close to us, fetch a can of water, and water
the ground where you have sowed them."

Pinocchio went to the canal, and as he had
no can he took off one of his old shoes, and
filling it with water he watered the ground over
the hole.

He then asked :

96 PINOCCHIO

' Is there anything else to be done? '

" Nothing else," answered the Fox. " We
can now go away. You can return in about
twenty minutes, and you will find a shrub
already pushing through the ground, with its
branches quite loaded with money."

The poor puppet, beside himself with joy,
thanked the Fox and the Cat a thousand times,
and promised them a beautiful present.

" We wish for no presents," answered the
two rascals. ' It is enough for us to have
taught you the way to enrich yourself without
undergoing hard work, and we are as happy
as folk out for a holiday."

Thus saying they left Pinocchio, and, wishing
him a good harvest, went about their business.

XIX

PINOCCHIO IS ROBBED OF HIS MONEY, AND AS A
PUNISHMENT HE IS SENT TO PRISON FOR
FOUR MONTHS

puppet returned to the town and
began to count the minutes one by one ;
and when he thought that it must be
time he took the road leading to the Field of
miracles.

And as he walked along with hurried steps
his heart beat fast tic, tac, tic, tac, like a draw-
ing-room clock when it is really going well.
Meanwhile he was thinking to himself:

" And if instead of a thousand gold pieces,
I was to find on the branches of the tree two
thousand? . . . And instead of two thousand
supposing I found five thousand? and instead
of five thousand that I found a hundred thou-
sand ? Oh ! what a fine gentleman I should then
become! ... I would have a beautiful palace,
a thousand little wooden horses and a thousand
stables to amuse myself with, a cellar full of
currant- wine and sweet syrups, and a library
quite full of candies, tarts, plum-cakes, maca-
roons, and biscuits with cream."

Whilst he was building these castles in the
air he had arrived in the neighbourhood of the
field, and he stopped to look if by chance he

7 97

98 PINOCCHIO

could perceive a tree with its branches faden
with money : but he saw nothing. He advanced
another hundred steps — nothing: he entered
the field ... he went right up to the little hole
where he had buried his sovereigns — and noth-
ing. He then became very thoughtful, and for-
getting the rules of society and good manners
he took his hands out of his pockets and gave his
head a long scratch.

At that moment he heard an explosion of
laughter close to him, and looking up he saw a
large Parrot perched on a tree, who was prun-
ing the few feathers he had left.

"Why are you laughing?' asked Pinoc-
chio in an angry voice.

" I am laughing because in pruning my
feathers I tickled myself under my wings."

The puppet did not answer, but went to the
canal and, filling the same old shoe full of
water, he proceeded to water the earth afresh
that covered his gold pieces.

Whilst he was thus occupied another laugh,
and still more impertinent than the first, rang
out in the silence of that solitary place.

" Once for all," shouted Pinocchio in a rage,
' may I know, you ill-educated Parrot, what
you are laughing at? '

" I am laughing at those simpletons who
believe in all the foolish things that are told

HE BEGAN WITH HIS HANDS AND NAILS TO DIG UP THE EARTH THAT

HE HAD WATERED

PINOCCHIO 99

them, and who allow themselves to be entrapped
by those who are more cunning than they are."

" Are you perhaps speaking of me? '

" Yes, I am speaking of you, poor Pinoc-
chio — of you who are simple enough to believe
that money can be sown and gathered in fields
in the same way as beans and gourds. I also
believed it once, and to-day I am suffering for
it. To-day — but it is too late — I have at last
learnt that to put a few pennies honestly to-
gether it is necessary to know how to earn
them, either by the work of our own hands or
by the cleverness of our own brains."

' I don't understand you," said the puppet,
who was already trembling with fear.

' Have patience! I will explain myself bet-
ter," rejoined the Parrot. You must know,
then, that whilst you were in the town the Fox
and the Cat returned to the field: they took
the buried money and then fled like the wind.
And now he that catches them will be clever."

Pinocchio remained with his mouth open,
and not choosing to believe the Parrot's words
he began with his hands and nails to dig up the
earth that he had watered. And he dug, and
dug, and dug, and made such a deep hole that
a rick of straw might have stood upright in it :
but the money was no longer there.

100 PINOCCHIO

He rushed back to the town in a state of
desperation, and went at once to the Courts of
Justice to denounce the two knaves who had
robbed him to the judge.

The judge was a big ape of the gorilla
tribe — an old ape respectable for his age, his
white beard, but especially for his gold spec-
tacles without glasses that he was obliged to
wear, on account of an inflammation of the
eyes that had tormented him for many years.

Pinocchio related in the presence of the
judge all the particulars of the infamous fraud
of which he had been the victim. He gave the
names, the surnames, and other details, of the
two rascals, and ended by demanding justice.

The judge listened with great benignity;
took a lively interest in the story; was much
touched and moved ; and when the puppet had
nothing further to say stretched out his hand
and rang a bell.

At this summons two mastiffs immediately
appeared dressed as gendarmes. The judge
then, pointing to Pinocchio, said to them:

" That poor devil has been robbed of four
gold pieces; take him up, and put him imme-
diately to prison."

The puppet was petrified on hearing this
unexpected sentence, and tried to protest; but

PINOCCHIO 101

the gendarmes, to avoid losing time, stopped
up his mouth, and carried him off to the lock-up.

And there he remained for four months —
four long months — and he would have remained
longer still if a fortunate chance had not re-
leased him. For I must tell you that the young
Emperor who reigned over the town of " Trap
for blockheads," having won a splendid victory
over his enemies, ordered great public rejoic-
ings. There were illuminations, fire-works,
horse races, and velocipede races, and as a
further sign of triumph he commanded that
the prisons should be opened and all the pris-
oners liberated.

' If the others are to be let out of prison,
I will go also," said Pinocchio to the jailor.

' No, not you," said the jailor, " because
you do not belong to the fortunate class."

' I beg your pardon," replied Pinocchio, " I
am also a criminal."

4 In that case you are perfectly right," said
the jailor; and taking off his hat and bowing
to him respectfully he opened the prison doors
and let him escape.

LIBERATED FROM PRISON, HE STARTS TO RETURN
TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE; BUT ON THE ROAD
HE MEETS WITH A HORRIBLE SERPENT, AND
AFTERWARDS HE IS CAUGHT IN A TRAP

YOU can imagine Pinocchio's joy when he
found himself free. Without stopping
to take breath he immediately left the
town and took the road that led to the Fairy's
house.

On account of the rainy weather the road had
become a marsh into which he sank knee-deep.
But the puppet would not give in. Tormented
by the desire of seeing his father and his little
sister with blue hair again he ran and leapt like
a greyhound, and as he ran he was splashed with
mud from head to foot. And he said to him-
self as he went along: " How many misfortunes
have happened to me . . . and I deserved
them ! for I am an obstinate, passionate puppet.
... I am always bent upon having my own
way, without listening to those who wish me
well, and who have a thousand times more sense
than I have! . . . But from this time forth
I am determined to change and to become or-
derly and obedient. . . . For at last I have
seen that disobedient boys come to no good and
gain nothing, And will my papa have waited
102

PINOCCHIO 103

for me? Shall I find him at the Fairy's house?
Poor man, it is so long since I last saw him : I
am dying to embrace him, and to cover him with
kisses ! And will the Fairy forgive me my bad
conduct to her ? . . . To think of all the kind-
ness and loving care I received from her . . .
to think that if I am now alive I owe it to her !
. . . Would it be possible to find a more
ungrateful boy, or one with less heart than I
have! . . ."

Whilst he was saying this he stopped sud-
denly, frightened to death, and made four steps
backwards.

What had he seen? . . .

He had seen an immense Serpent stretched
across the road. Its skin was green, it had red
eyes, and a pointed tail that was smoking like
a chimney.

It would be impossible to imagine the pup-
pet's terror. He walked away to a safe dis-
tance, and sitting down on a heap of stones
waited until the Serpent should have gone about
its business and had left the road clear.

He waited an hour ; two hours ; three hours ;
but the Serpent was always there, and even
from a distance he could see the red light of
his fiery eyes and the column of smoke that
ascended from the end of his tail.

At last Pinocchio, trying to feel courageous,

104 PINOCCHIO

approached to within a few steps, and said to
the Serpent in a little, soft, insinuating voice:

" Excuse me, Sir Serpent, but would you be
so good as to move a little to one side, just
enough to allow me to pass ? '

He might as well have spoken to the wall.
Nobody moved.

He began again in the same soft voice :

You must know, Sir Serpent, that I am on
my way home, where my father is waiting for
me, and it is such a long time since I saw him
last! . . . Will you therefore allow me to pass? '

He waited for a sign in answer to this re-
quest, but there was none : in fact, the Serpent,
who up to that moment had been sprightly and
full of life, became motionless and almost rigid.
He shut his eyes and his tail ceased smoking.

" Can he really be dead? " said Pinocchio,
rubbing his hands with delight; and he de-
termined to jump over him and reach the other
side of the road. But just as he was going to
leap the Serpent raised himself suddenly on
end, like a spring set in motion; and the pup-
pet, drawing back, in his terror caught his feet
and fell to the ground.

And he fell so awkwardly that his head
stuck in the mud and his legs went into the air.

At the sight of the puppet kicking violently
with his head in the mud the Serpent went into

PINOCCHIO 105

convulsions of laughter, and he laughed, and
laughed, and laughed, until from the violence
of his laughter he broke a blood-vessel and died.
And that time he was really dead.

Pinocchio then set off running in hopes that
he should reach the Fairy's house before dark.
But before long he began to suffer so dread-
fully from hunger that he could not bear it,
and he jumped into a field by the way-side
intending to pick some bunches of muscatel
grapes. Oh, that he had never done it!

He had scarcely reached the vines when crack
. . . his legs were caught between two cutting
iron bars, and he became so giddy with pain
that stars of every colour danced before his eyes.

The poor puppet had been taken in a trap
put there to capture some big polecats who
were the scourge of the poultry-yards in the
neighbourhood.

XXI

PINOCCHIO IS TAKEN BY A PEASANT, WHO
OBLIGES HIM TO FILL THE PLACE OF HIS
WATCH-DOG IN THE POULTRY-YARD

PINOCCHIO, as you can imagine, began
to cry and scream: but his tears and
groans were useless, for there was not a
house to be seen, and not a living soul passed
down the road.

At last night came on.

Partly from the pain of the trap that cut
his legs, and a little from fear at finding him-
self alone in the dark in the midst of the fields,
the puppet was on the point of fainting. Just
at that moment he saw a Firefly flitting over
his head. He called to it and said:

" Oh, little Firefly, will you have pity on
me and liberate me from this torture ? '

" Poor boy! " said the Firefly, stopping and
looking at him with compassion!, ' but how
could your legs have been caught by those sharp

• o »

irons f

" I came into the field to pick two bunches
of these muscatel grapes, and . . ."

" But were the grapes yours? '

" No "

" Then who taught you to carry off other
people's property? '

106

PINOCCHIO 107

* I was so hungry. ..."
' Hunger, my boy, is not a good reason for
appropriating what does not belong to us. . . ."

" That is true, that is true ! " said Pinocchio,
crying. ' I will never do it again."

At this moment their conversation was in-
terrupted by a slight sound of approaching
footsteps. It was the owner of the field coming
on tiptoe to see if one of the polecats that ate
his chickens during the night had been caught
in his trap.

His astonishment was great when, having
brought out his lantern from under his coat,
he perceived that instead of a polecat a boy
had been taken.

' Ah, little thief ! " said the angry peasant,
' then it is you who carry off my chickens? '

' No, it is not I; indeed it is not! " cried
Pinocchio, sobbing. ' I only came into the
field to take two bunches of grapes ! . . ."

' He who steals grapes is quite capable of
stealing chickens. Leave it to me, I will give
you a lesson that you will not forget in a hurry."

Opening the trap he seized the puppet by
the collar, and carried him to his house as if he
had been a young lamb.

When he reached the yard in front of the
house he threw him roughly on the ground, and
putting his foot on his neck he said to him :

108 PINOCCHIO

' It is late, and I want to go to bed; we
will settle our accounts to-morrow. In the
meanwhile, as the dog who kept guard at night
died to-day, you shall take his place at once.
You shall be my watch-dog."

And taking a great collar covered with
brass knobs he strapped it tightly round his
throat that he might not be able to draw his
head out of it. A heavy chain attached to the
collar was fastened to the wall.

" If it should rain to-night," he then said to
him, " you can go and lie down in the kennel ;
the straw that has served as a bed for my poor
dog for the last four years is still there. If
unfortunately robbers should come, remember
to keep your ears pricked and to bark."

After giving him this last injunction the
man went into the house, shut the door, and
put up the chain.

Poor Pinocchio remained lying on the
ground more dead than alive from the effects
of cold, hunger, and fear. From time to time
he put his hands angrily to the collar that tight-
ened his throat and said, crying:

" It serves me right! . . . Decidedly it serves
me right ! I was determined to be a vagabond
and a good-for-nothing. ... I would listen to
bad companions, and that is why I always meet
with misfortunes. If I had been a good little

PINOCCHIO 109

boy as so many are; if I had been willing to
learn and to work; if I had remained at home
with my poor papa, I should not now be in the
midst of the fields and obliged to be the watch-
dog to a peasant's house. Oh, if I could be
born again! But now it is too late, and I must
have patience ! '

Relieved by this little outburst, which came
straight from his heart, he went into the dog-
kennel and fell asleep,

XXII

PINOCCHIO DISCOVERS THE ROBBERS, AND AS A
REWARD FOR HIS FIDELITY IS SET AT LIBERTY

HE had been sleeping heavily for about
two hours when, towards midnight, he
was roused by a whispering of strange
voices that seemed to come from the courtyard.
Putting the point of his nose out of the kennel
he saw four little beasts with dark fur, that
looked like cats, standing consulting together.
But they were not cats; they were polecats —
carnivorous little animals, especially greedy
for eggs and young chickens. One of the pole-
cats, leaving his companions, came to the open-
ing of the kennel and said in a low voice :

" Good evening, Melampo."

" My name is not Melampo," answered the
puppet.

" Oh! then who are you? '

" I am Pinocchio."

" And what are you doing here? '

" I am acting as watch-dog."

" Then where is Melampo? Where is the
old dog who lived in this kennel? '

" He died this morning."

" Is he dead ? Poor beast ! He was so good.
But judging you by your face I should say
that you were also a good dog."

The polecat of Europe is not the same animal as the American skunk.
110

PINOCCHIO 111

' I beg your pardon, I am not a dog."

' Not a dog? Then what are you? '

' I am a puppet."

' And you are acting as watch-dog? '
" That is only too true — as a punishment."

' Well, then, I will offer you the same
conditions that we made with the deceased
Melampo, and I am sure you will be satisfied
with them."

" What are these conditions? '
" One night in every week you are to per-
mit us to visit this poultry-yard as we have
hitherto done, and to carry off eight chickens.
Of these chickens seven are to be eaten by us,
and one we will give to you, on the express
understanding, however, that you pretend to
be asleep, and that it never enters your head
to bark and to wake the peasant."

' Did Melampo act in this manner? " asked
Pinocchio.

' Certainly, and we were always on the
best terms with him. Sleep quietly, and rest
assured that before we go we will leave by the
kennel a beautiful chicken ready plucked for
your breakfast to-morrow. Have we under-
stood each other clearly? '

" Only too clearly! . . ." answered Pinocchio,
and he shook his head threateningly as much as
to say: " You shall hear of this shortly! '

PINOCCHIO

The four polecats thinking themselves safe
repaired to the poultry-yard, which was close
to the kennel, and having opened the wooden
gate with their teeth and claws, they slipped in
one by one. But they had only just passed
through when they heard the gate shut behind
them with great violence.

It was Pinocchio who had shut it; and for
greater security he put a large stone against it
to keep it closed.

He then began to bark, and he barked
exactly like a watch-dog: bow-wow, bow-wow.

Hearing the barking the peasant jumped
out of bed, and taking his gun he came to the
window and asked:

" What is the matter? "

" There are robbers ! " answered Pinocchio.

" Where are they? "

" In the poultry-yard."

" I will come down directly."

In fact, in less time than it takes to say
Amen, the peasant came down. He rushed
into the poultry-yard, caught the polecats, and
having put them into a sack, he said to them in
a tone of great satisfaction:

"At last you have fallen into my hands!
I might punish you, but I am not so cruel. I
will content myself instead by carrying you
in the morning to the innkeeper of the neigh-

PINOCCHIO 113

bouring village, who will skin and cook you as
hares with a sweet and sour sauce. It is an
honour that you don't deserve, but generous
people like me don't consider such trifles! . . ."

He then approached Pinocchio and began
to caress him, and amongst other things he
asked him:

'* How did you manage to discover the four
thieves? To think that Melampo, my faithful
Melampo, never found out anything! . . ."

The puppet might then have told him the
whole story; he might have informed him of
the disgraceful conditions that had been made
between the dog and the polecats; but he
remembered that the dog was dead, and he
thought to himself:

" What is the good of accusing the dead?
. . . The dead are dead, and the best thing to
be done is to leave them in peace! . . ."

" When the thieves got into the yard were
you asleep or awake? " the peasant went on to
ask him.

" I was asleep," answered Pinocchio, " but
the polecats woke me with their chatter, and
one of them came to the kennel and said to me :
' If you promise not to bark, and not to wake
the master, we will make you a present of a
fine chicken ready plucked ! . . .' To think that
they should have had the audacity to make such

114 PINOCCHIO

a proposal to me ! For although I am a puppet,
possessing perhaps nearly all the faults in the
world, there is one that I certainly will never
be guilty of, that of making terms with, and
sharing in the gains of, dishonest people! ':

"Well said, my boy!" cried the peasant,
slapping him on the shoulder. ' Such senti-
ments do you honour: and as a proof of my
gratitude I will at once set you at liberty, and
you may return home."

And he removed the dog's collar.

XXIII

PINOCCHIO MOURNS THE DEATH OF THE BEAUTI-
FUL CHILD WITH THE BLUE HAIR. HE
THEN MEETS WITH A PIGEON WHO FLIES
WITH HIM TO THE SEASHORE, AND THERE
HE THROWS HIMSELF INTO THE WATER TO
GO TO THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS FATHER
GEPPETTO

A soon as Pinocchio was released from the
heavy and humiliating weight of the
dog collar he started off across the
fields, and never stopped until he had reached
the high road that led to the Fairy's house.
There he turned and looked down into the
plain beneath. He could see distinctly with
his naked eye the wood where he had been so
unfortunate as to meet with the Fox and the
Cat; he could see amongst the trees the top
of the Big Oak to which he had been hung;
but although he looked in every direction the
little house belonging to the beautiful Child
with the blue hair was nowhere visible.

Seized with a sad presentiment he began to
run with all the strength he had left, and in a
few minutes he reached the field where the little
white house had once stood. But the little white
house was no longer there. He saw instead a

115

116 PINOCCHIO

marble stone, on which were engraved these
sad words:

HERE LIES
THE CHILD WITH THE BLUE HAIR

WHO DIED FROM SORROW

BECAUSE SHE WAS ABANDONED BY HER

LITTLE BROTHER PINOCCHIO.

I leave you to imagine the puppet's feelings
when he had with difficulty spelt out this
epitaph. He fell with his face on the ground
and, covering the tombstone with a thousand
kisses, burst into an agony of tears. He cried
all night, and when morning came he was still
crying although he had no tears left, and his
sobs and lamentations were so acute and heart-
breaking that they roused the echoes in the
surrounding hills.

And as he wept he said :

" Oh, little Fairy, why did you die? Why
did not I die instead of you, I who am so wicked,
whilst you were so good? . . . And my papa?
Where can he be? Oh, little Fairy, tell me
where I can find him, for I want to remain with
him always and never to leave him again, never
again! . . . Oh, little Fairy, tell me that it is
not true that you are dead! ... If you really
love me ... if you really love your little brother,
come to life again . . . come to life as you were

PINOCCHIO 117

before! . . . Does it not grieve you to see me
alone and abandoned by everybody? ... If
assassins come they will hang me again to the
branch of a tree . . . and then I should die in-
deed. What do you imagine that I can do here
alone in the world? Now that I have lost you
and my papa, who will give me food? Where
shall I go to sleep at night? Who will make me
a new jacket? Oh, it would be better, a hun-
dred times better, that I should die also ! Yes,
I want to die . . . ih! ih! ih! '

And in his despair he tried to tear his hair ;
but his hair, being made of wood, he could not
even have the satisfaction of sticking his fingers
into it.

Just then a large Pigeon flew over his head,
and stopping with distended wings called down
to him from a great height :

" Tell me, child, what are you doing there? '

" Don't you see? I am crying! ' said
Pinocchio, raising his head towards the voice
and rubbing his eyes with his jacket.

" Tell me," continued the Pigeon, " amongst
your companions, do you happen to know a
puppet who is called Pinocchio? '

" Pinocchio? . . . Did you say Pinocchio? '
repeated the puppet, jumping quickly to his
feet. " I am Pinocchio! '

The Pigeon at this answer descended to

118 PINOCCHIO

the ground. He was larger than a turkey.,

' Do you also know Geppetto? " he asked.

' Do I know him! He is my poor papa!

Has he perhaps spoken to you of me? Will

you take me to him? Is he still alive? Answer

me for pity's sake: is he still alive? '

' I left him three days ago on the sea-
shore."

' What was he doing? '

' He was building a little boat for himself,
to cross the ocean. For more than three months
that poor man has been going all round the
world looking for you. Not having succeeded
in finding you he has now taken it into his head
to go to the distant countries of the new world
in search of you."

" How far is it from here to the shore? '
asked Pinocchio breathlessly.

" More than six hundred miles."

" Six hundred miles? Oh, beautiful Pigeon,
what a fine thing it would be to have your
wings! . . ."

"If you wish to go, I will carry you there."

" How? "

" Astride on my back. Do you weigh
much? "

" I weigh next to nothing. I am as light
as a feather."

And without waiting for more Pinocchio

"GALLOP, GALLOP, MY LITTLE HORSE"

TW NEW
PUBLIC LliJilAilY

I.** i)X AN!>
TILI

PINOCCHIO 119

jumped at once on the Pigeon's back, and put-
ting a leg on each side of him as men do on
horseback, he exclaimed joyfully:

' Gallop, gallop, my little horse, for I am
anxious to arrive quickly! ..."

The Pigeon took flight, and in a few
minutes had soared so high that they almost
touched the clouds. Finding himself at such
an immense height the puppet had the curiosity
to turn and look down ; but his head spun round,
and he became so frightened, that to save him-
self from the danger of falling he wound his
arms tightly round the neck of his feathered
steed.

They flew all day. Towards evening the
Pigeon said:

" I am very thirsty! '

"And I am very hungry!' rejoined
Pinocchio.

' Let us stop at that dovecot for a few
minutes ; and then we will continue our journey
that we may reach the seashore by dawn to-

morrow.*

They went into a deserted dovecot, where
they found nothing but a basin full of water
and a basket full of vetch.

The puppet had never in his life been able
to eat vetch : according to him it made him sick
and revolted him. That evening, however, he

120 PINOCCHIO

ate to repletion, and when he had nearly
emptied the basket he turned to the Pigeon and
said to him:

" I never could have believed that vetch was
so good! '

" Be assured, my boy," replied the Pigeon,
" that when hunger is real, and there is nothing
else to eat, even vetch becomes delicious.
Hunger knows neither caprice nor greediness."

Having quickly finished their little meal
they recommenced their journey and flew
away. The following morning they reached
the seashore.

The Pigeon placed Pinocchio on the ground,
and not wishing to be troubled with thanks for
having done a good action, flew quickly away
and disappeared.

The shore was crowded with people who
were looking out to sea, shouting and gesticu-
lating.

"What has happened?' asked Pinocchio
of an old woman.

" A poor father who has lost his son has
gone away in a boat to search for him on the
other side of the water, and to-day the sea is
tempestuous and the little boat is in danger
of sinking."

" Where is the little boat? "

" It is out there in a line with my finger,"

PINOCCHIO 121

said the old woman, pointing to a little boat
which, seen at that distance, looked like a nut-
shell with a very little man in it.

Pinocchio fixed his eyes on it, and after
looking attentively he gave a piercing scream,
crying :

" It is my papa ! it is my papa ! '

The boat meanwhile, beaten by the fury of
the waves, at one moment disappeared in the
trough of the sea, and the next came again to
the surface. Pinocchio, standing on the top of
a high rock, kept calling to his father by name,
and making every kind of signal to him with his
hands, his handkerchief, and his cap.

And although he was so far off, Geppetto
appeared to recognise his son, for he also took
off his cap and waved it, and tried by gestures
to make him understand that he would have
returned if it had been possible, but that the
sea was so tempestuous that he could not use
his oars or approach the shore.

Suddenly a tremendous wave rose and the
boat disappeared. They waited, hoping it
would come again to the surface, but it was
seen no more.

' Poor man! " said the fishermen who were
assembled on the shore, and murmuring a
prayer they turned to go home.

Just then they heard a desperate cry, and

122 PINOCCHIO

looking back they saw a little boy who ex-
claimed, as he jumped from a rock into the sea:

" I will save my papa! '

Pinocchio, being made of wood, floated
easily and he swam like a fish. At one moment
they saw him disappear under the water, car-
ried down by the fury of the waves; and next
he reappeared struggling with a leg or an arm.
At last they lost sight of him, and he was seen
no more.

' Poor boy! " said the fishermen who were
collected on the shore, and murmuring a prayer
they returned home.

XXIV

PINOCCHIO ARRIVES AT THE ISLAND OF THE
" INDI
AGAIN

' INDUSTRIOUS BEES," AND FINDS THE FAIRY

PENOCCHIO, hoping to be in time to
help his father, swam the whole night.
And what a horrible night it was! The
rain came down in torrents, it hailed, the
thunder was frightful, and the flashes of light-
ning made it as light as day.

Towards morning he saw a long strip of
land not far off. It was an island in the midst
of the sea.

He tried his utmost to reach the shore : but
it was all in vain. The waves, racing and
tumbling over each other, knocked him about
as if he had been a stick or a wisp of straw. At
last, fortunately for him, a billow rolled up with
such fury and impetuosity that he was lifted
up and thrown violently far on to the sands.

He fell with such force that, as he struck the
ground, his ribs and all his joints cracked, but
he comforted himself, saying:

1 This time also I have made a wonderful
escape! '

Little by little the sky cleared, the sun shone
out in all his splendour, and the sea became as
quiet and smooth as oiL

123

PINOCCHIO

The puppet put his clothes in the sun to dry,
and began to look in every direction in hopes of
seeing on the vast expanse of water a little
boat with a little man in it. But although he
looked and looked, he could see nothing but the
sky, and the sea, and the sail of some ship, but
so far away that it seemed no bigger than a fly.
' If I only knew what this island was
called! " he said to himself. " If I only knew
whether it was inhabited by civilised people —
I mean by people who have not got the bad
habit of hanging boys to the branches of the
trees. But who can I ask? who, if there is
nobody? . . ."

This idea of finding himself alone, alone, all
alone, in the midst of this great uninhabited
country, made him so melancholy that he was
just beginning to cry. But at that moment, at
a short distance from the shore, he saw a big
fish swimming by; it was going quietly on its
own business with its head out of the water.

Not knowing its name the puppet called to
it in a loud voice to make himself heard :

" Eh, Sir fish, will you permit me a word
with you? '

" Two if you like," answered the fish, who
was a Dolphin, and so polite that few similar
are to be found in any sea in the world.

" Will you be kind enough to tell me if there

PINOCCHIO 125

are villages in this island where it would be
possible to obtain something to eat, without
running the danger of being eaten? '

' Certainly there are," replied the Dolphin.
' Indeed you will find one at a short distance
from here."

' And what road must I take to go there? '
You must take that path to your left and
follow your nose. You cannot make a mistake."

; Will you tell me another thing? You who
swim about the sea all day and all night, have
you by chance met a little boat with my papa
in it? "

"And who is your papa? '

" He is the best papa in the world, whilst it
would be difficult to find a worse son than I

am."

* During the terrible storm last night," an-
swered the Dolphin, " the little boat must have
gone to the bottom."

' And my papa? '

' He must have been swallowed by the ter-
rible Dog-fish who for some days past has been
spreading devastation and ruin in our waters."

' Is this Dog-fish very big? " asked Pinoc-
chio, who was already beginning to quake with
fear

" Big! . . ." replied the Dolphin. " That
you may form some idea of his size, I need only

126 PENOCCHIO

tell you that he is bigger than a five-storied
house, and that his mouth is so enormous and
so deep that a railway train with its smoking
engine could pass very easily down his great
throat."

" Mercy upon us! " exclaimed the terrified
puppet; and putting on his clothes with the
greatest haste he said to the Dolphin :

" Good-bye, Sir fish: excuse the trouble I
have given you, and many thanks for your
politeness."

He then took the path that had been pointed
out to him and began to walk fast — so fast,
indeed, that he was almost running. And at
the slightest noise he turned to look behind
him, fearing that he might see the terrible Dog-
fish with a railway train in its mouth following
him.

After a walk of half an hour he reached a
little village called " The village of the Indus-
trious Bees." The road was alive with people
running here and there to attend to their busi-
ness : all were at work, all had something to do.
You could not have found an idler or a vaga-
bond, not even if you had searched for him with
a lighted lamp.

"Ah!' said that lazy Pinocchio at once,
" I see that this village will never suit me ! I
wasn't born to work! "

PINOCCHIO 127

In the meanwhile he was tormented by
hunger, for he had eaten nothing for twenty-
four hours — not even vetch. What was he
to do?

There were only two ways by which he
could obtain food — either by asking for a little
work, or by begging for a halfpenny or for a
mouthful of bread.

He was ashamed to beg, for his father had
always preached to him that no one had a right
to beg except the aged and the infirm. The
really poor in this world, deserving of com-
passion and assistance, are only those who from
age or sickness are no longer able to earn their
own bread with the labour of their hands. It
is the duty of every one else to work; and if
they will not work, so much the worse for them
if they suffer from hunger.

At that moment a man came down the road,
tired and panting for breath. He was drag-
ging alone, with fatigue and difficulty, two
carts full of charcoal.

Pinocchio, judging by his face that he was
a kind man, approached him, and casting down
his eyes with shame he said in a low voice:

" Would you have the charity to give me a
halfpenny, for I am dying of hunger? '

" You shall have not only a halfpenny,"

128 PINOCCHIO

said the man, " but I will give you twopence,
provided that you help me to drag home these
two carts of charcoal."

'I am surprised at you!" answered the
puppet in a tone of offence. " Let me tell you
that I am not accustomed to do the work of a
donkey: I have never drawn a cart! . . ."

" So much the better for you," answered the
man. ' Then, my boy, if you are really dying
of hunger, eat two fine slices of your pride, and
be careful not to get an indigestion."

A few minutes afterwards a mason passed
down the road carrying on his shoulders a
basket of lime.

' Would you have the charity, good man,
to give a halfpenny to a poor boy who is yawn-
ing for want of food ? '

" Willingly," answered the man. ' Come
with me and cariy the lime, and instead of a
halfpenny I will give you five."

" But the lime is heavy," objected Pinoc-
chio, " and I don't want to tire myself."

"If you don't want to tire yourself, then,
my boy, amuse yourself with yawning, and
much good may it do you."

In less than half an hour twenty other
people went by; and Pinocchio asked charity
of them all, but they all answered :

PINOCCHIO 129

"Are you not ashamed to beg? Instead
of idling about the roads, go and look for a
little work and learn to earn your bread.'*

At last a nice little woman carrying two
cans of water came by.

" Will you let me drink a little water out
of your can? " asked Pinocchio, who was burn-
ing with thirst.

" Drink, my boy, if you wish it I " said the
little woman, setting down the two cans.

Pinocchio drank like a fish, and as he dried
his mouth he mumbled:

" I have quenched my thirst. If I could only
appease my hunger! . . ."

The good woman hearing these words said :

' If you will help me to carry home these
two cans of water, I will give you a fine piece
of bread."

Pinocchio looked at the can and answered
neither yes nor no.

' And besides the bread you shall have a
nice dish of cauliflower dressed with oil and
vinegar," added the good woman.

Pinocchio gave another look at the can.
and answered neither yes nor no.

' And after the cauliflower I will give you
a beautiful bonbon full of syrup."

The temptation of this last dainty was so
9

130 PINOCCHIO

great that Pinocchio could resist no longer, and
with an air of decision he said :

" I must have patience! I will carry the
can to your house."

The can was heavy, and the puppet not
being strong enough to carry it in his hand,
had to resign himself to carry it on his head.

When they reached the house the good little
woman made Pinocchio sit down at a small
table already laid, and she placed before him
the bread, the cauliflower, and the bonbon.

Pinocchio did not eat, he devoured. His
stomach was like an apartment that had been
left empty and uninhabited for five months.

When his ravenous hunger was somewhat
appeased he raised his head to thank his bene-
factress; but he had no sooner looked at her
than he gave a prolonged Oh-h-h! of astonish-
ment, and continued staring at her, with wide
open eyes, his fork in the air, and his mouth
full of bread and cauliflower, as if he had been
bewitched.

" What has surprised you so much? " asked
the good woman, laughing.

" It is . . ." answered the puppet, "it is ...
it is ... that you are like . . . that you remind me
. . . yes, yes, yes, the same voice . . . the same
eyes . . . the same hair . . . yes, yes, yes . . .

PINOCCHIO 131

you also have blue hair ... as she had . . . Oh,
little Fairy ! . . . tell me that it is you, really you 1
. . . Do not make me cry any more! If you
knew ... I have cried so much, I have suffered
so much. . . ."

And throwing himself at her feet on the
floor, Pinocchio embraced the knees of the
mysterious little woman and began to cry
bitterly.

XXV

PINOCCHIO PROMISES THE FAIRY TO BE GOOD AND
STUDIOUS, FOR HE IS QUITE SICK OF BEING A
PUPPET AND WISHES TO BECOME AN EXEM-
PLARY BOY

A first the good little woman maintained
that she was not the little Fairy with
blue hair; but seeing that she was
found out, and not wishing to continue the
comedy any longer, she ended by making her-
self known, and she said to Pinocchio:

You little rogue ! how did you ever dis-
cover who I was ? '

' It was my great affection for you that
told me."

' Do you remember? You left me a child,
and now that you have found me again I am
a woman — a woman almost old enough to be
your mamma."

" I am delighted at that, for now, instead
of calling you little sister, I will call you
mamma. I have wished for such a long time to
have a mamma like other boys! . . . But how
did you manage to grow so fast? '
' That is a secret."

" Teach it to me, for I should also like to
grow. Don't you see? I always remain no
bigger than a ninepin."

132

PINOCCHIO 133

But you cannot grow," replied the Fairy.
Why? "

" Because puppets never grow. They are
born puppets, live puppets, and die puppets."

" Oh, I am sick of being a puppet 1 " cried
Pinocchio, giving himself a slap. ' It is time
that I became a man. . . ."

" And you will become one, if you know
how to deserve it. . . ."

" Not really? What can I do to deserve it? "

"A very easy thing: by learning to be a
good boy."

" And you think I am not? '

" You are quite the contrary. Good boys
are obedient, and you. ..."

" And I never obey."

" Good boys like to learn and to work, and
you "

rt And I instead lead an idle vagabond life
the year through."

" Good boys always speak the truth. . . ."

" And I always tell lies."

" Good boys go willingly to school. ..."
' And school gives me pain all over my
body. But from to-day I will change my life."
' Do you promise me? '

" I promise you. I will become a good little
boy, and I will be the consolation of my papa.

134 PINOCCHIO

.... Where is my poor papa at this moment? '

" I do not know."

" Shall I ever have the happiness of seeing
him again and kissing him? '

" I think so; indeed I am sure of it."

At this answer Pinocchio was so delighted
that he took the Fairy's hands and began to
kiss them with such fervour that he seemed
beside himself. Then raising his face and look-
ing at her lovingly, he asked:

6 Tell me, little mamma : then it was not
true that you were dead ? '

' It seems not," said the Fairy, smiling.

' If you only knew the sorrow I felt and
the tightening of my throat when I read, ' here
lies '"

' I know it, and it is on that account that
I have forgiven you. I saw from the sincerity
of your grief that you had a good heart; and
when boys have good hearts, even if they are
scamps and have got bad habits, there is always
something to hope for: that is, there is always
hope that they will turn to better ways. That
is why I came to look for you here. I will be
your mamma. . . ."

" Oh, how delightful! " shouted Pinocchio,
jumping for joy.

You must obey me and do everything
that I bid you.'

PINOCCHIO 135

1 Willingly, willingly, willingly ! "
' To-morrow," rejoined the Fairy, " you
will begin to go to school."

Pinocchio became at once a little less joyful.
: Then you must choose an art, or a trade,
according to your own wishes."
Pinocchio became very grave.
' What are you muttering between your
teeth? " asked the Fairy in an angry voice.

' I was saying," moaned the puppet in a
low voice, " that it seemed to me too late for
me to go to school now. ..."

' No, sir. Keep it in mind that it is never
too late to learn and to instruct ourselves."

' But I do not wish to follow either an art
or a trade."
"Why?"

" Because it tires me to work."
" My boy," said the Fairy, " those who talk
in that way end almost always either in prison
or in the hospital. Let me tell you that every
man, whether he is born rich or poor, is obliged
to do something in this world — to occupy him-
self, to work. Woe to those who lead slothful
lives. Sloth is a dreadful illness and must be
cured at once, in childhood. If not, when we
are old it can never be cured."

Pinocchio was touched by these words, and
lifting his head quickly he said to the Fairy:

136 PINOCCHIO

' I will study, I will work, I will do all that
you tell me, for indeed I have become weary
of being a puppet, and I wish at any price to
become a boy. You promised me that I should,
did you not? '

* I did promise you, and it now depends
upon yourself."

XXVI

PINOCCHIO ACCOMPANIES HIS SCHOOLFELLOWS
TO THE SEASHORE TO SEE THE TERRIBLE DOG-
FISH

THE following day Pinocchio went to
the government school.
Imagine the delight of all the little
rogues when they saw a puppet walk into their
school! They set up a roar of laughter that
never ended. They played him all sorts of
tricks. One boy carried off his cap, another
pulled his jacket behind; one tried to give him
a pair of inky mustachios just under his nose,
and another attempted to tie strings to his feet
and hands to make him dance.

For a short time Pinocchio pretended not
to care and got on as well as he could; but at
last, losing all patience, he turned to those who
were teasing him most and making game of
him, and said to them, looking very angry:

" Beware, boys: I am not come here to be
your buffoon. I respect others, and I intend
to be respected."

' Well said, boaster! You have spoken like
a book! " howled the young rascals, convulsed
with mad laughter ; and one of them, more im-
pertinent than the others, stretched out his

137

138 PINOCCHIO

hand intending to seize the puppet by the end
of his nose.

But he was not in time, for Pinocchio stuck
his leg out from under the table and gave him
a great kick on his shins.

"Oh, what hard feet!' roared the boy,
rubbing the bruise that the puppet had given
him.

" And what elbows! . „ . even harder than
his feet! . . ." said another, who for his rude
tricks had received a blow in the stomach.

But nevertheless the kick and the blow
acquired at once for Pinocchio the sympathy
and the esteem of all the boys in the school.
They all made friends with him and liked him
heartily.

And even the master praised him, for he
found him attentive, studious, and intelligent —
always the first to come to school, and the last
to leave when school was over.

But he had one fault: he made too many
friends ; and amongst them were several young
rascals well known for their dislike to study and
love of mischief.

The master warned him every day, and even
the good Fairy never failed to tell him, and to
repeat constantly:

" Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad school-
fellows of yours will end sooner or later by

PINOCCHIO 139

making you lose all love of study, and perhaps
even they may bring upon you some great mis-
fortune."

" There is no fear of that! " answered the
puppet, shrugging his shoulders and touching
his forehead as much as to say: " There is so
much sense here! '

Now it happened that one fine day, as he
was on his way to school, he met several of
his usual companions who, coming up to him,
asked :

" Have you heard the great news? '

" No."

' In the sea near here a Dog-fish has ap-
peared as big as a mountain."

" Not really? Can it be the same Dog-fish
that was there when my poor papa was
drowned ? '

" We are going to the shore to see him.
Will you come with us? '

" No; I am going to school."

" What matters school? We can go to
school to-morrow. Whether we have a lesson
more or a lesson less, we shall always remain
the same donkeys."

" But what will the master say? '
; The master may say what he likes. He
is paid on purpose to grumble all day."

" And my mamma? . . ."

140 PINOCCHIO

' Mammas know nothing," answered those
bad little boys.

' Do you know what I will do? " said Pinoc-
chio. ' I have reasons for wishing to see the
Dog-fish, but I will go and see him when school

is over.':

"Poor donkey!' exclaimed one of the
number. ' Do you suppose that a fish of that
size will wait your convenience ? As soon as he
is tired of being here he will start for another
place, and then it will be too late."

' How long does it take from here to the
shore? " asked the puppet.

' We can be there and back in an hour."

'Then away!' shouted Pinocchio, "and
he who runs fastest is the best ! '

Having thus given the signal to start, the
boys, with their books and copy-books under
their arms, rushed off across the field, and
Pinocchio was always the first — he seemed to
have wings to his feet.

From time to time he turned to jeer at his
companions, who were some distance behind,
and seeing them panting for breath, covered
with dust and their tongues hanging out of
their mouths, he laughed heartily. The unfor-
tunate boy little knew what terrors and horrible
disasters he was going to meet with ! . . .

XXVII

GREAT FIGHT BETWEEN PINOCCHIO AND HIS
COMPANIONS. ONE OF THEM IS WOUNDED,
AND PINOCCHIO IS ARRESTED BY THE
GENDARMES

WHEN he arrived on the shore Pinoc-
chio looked out to sea ; but he saw no
Dog-fish. The sea was as smooth as
a great crystal mirror.

" Where is the Dog-fish? " he asked, turn-
ing to his companions.

" He must have gone to have his breakfast,"
said one of them, laughing.

"Or he has thrown himself on to his bed
to have a little nap," added another, laughing
still louder.

From their absurd answers and silly
laughter Pinocchio perceived that his com-
panions had been making a fool of him, in
inducing him to believe a tale with no truth
in it. Taking it very badly, he said to them
angrily :

" And now may I ask what fun you could
find in deceiving me with the story of the Dog-
fish? "

" Oh, it was great fun! " answered the little
rascals in chorus.

" And in what did it consist? '

141

142 PINOCCHIO

" In making you miss school, and persuad-
ing you to come with us. Are you not ashamed
of being always so punctual and so diligent
with your lessons? Are you not ashamed of
studying so hard? '

" And if I study hard what concern is it of

yours? '

" It concerns us excessively, because it
makes us appear in a bad light to the master."

" Why? "

" Because boys who study make those who,
like us, have no wish to learn seem worse by
comparison. And that is too bad. We too
have our pride! . . ."

" Then what must I do to please you? '

" You must follow our example and hate
school, lessons, and the master — our three
greatest enemies."

" And if I wish to continue my studies? '

" In that case we will have nothing more to
do with you, and at the first opportunity we
will make you pay for it."

" Really," said the puppet, shaking his
head, " you make me inclined to laugh."

"Eh, Pinocchio!" shouted the biggest of
the boys, confronting him. ' None of your
superior airs : don't come here to crow over us !
. . . for if you are not afraid of us, we are not

PINOCCHIO 143

afraid of you. Remember that you are one
against seven of us."

" Seven, like the seven deadly sins," said
Pinocchio with a shout of laughter.

"Listen to him! He has insulted us all!
He called us the seven deadly sins! . . ."

" Pinocchio! beg pardon ... or it will be
the worse for you ! . . ."

" Cuckoo!' sang the puppet, putting his
forefinger to the end of his nose scoffingly.

" Pinocchio! it will end badly! . . ."

"Cuckoo!"

" You will get as many blows as a don-
key! .. ."

"Cuckoo!"

" You will return home with a broken
nose! . . ."

"Cuckoo!"

" Ah, you shall have the cuckoo from me ! '
said the most courageous of the boys. ; Take
that to begin with, and keep it for your supper
to-night."

And so saying he gave him a blow on the
head with his fist.

But it was give and take; for the puppet,
as was to be expected, immediately returned
the blow, and the fight in a moment became
general and desperate.

Pinocchio, although he was one alone, de-

144 PINOCCHIO

fended himself like a hero. He used his feet,
which were of the hardest wood, to such pur-
pose that he kept his enemies at a respectful
distance. Wherever they touched they left a
bruise by way of reminder.

The boys, becoming furious at not being
able to measure themselves hand to hand with
the puppet, had recourse to other weapons.
Loosening their satchels they commenced
throwing their school-books at him — grammars,
dictionaries, spelling-books, geography books,
and other scholastic works. But Pinocchio was
quick and had sharp eyes, and always managed
to duck in time, so that the books passed over
his head and all fell into the sea.

Imagine the astonishment of the fish!
Thinking that the books were something to
eat they all arrived in shoals, but having tasted
a page or two, or a frontispiece, they spat it
quickly out and made a wry face that seemed
to say: " It isn't food for us ; we are accustomed
to something much better ! '

The battle meantime had become fiercer
than ever, when a big crab, who had come out
of the water and had climbed slowly up on
to the shore, called out in a hoarse voice that
sounded like a trumpet with a bad cold:

" Have done with that, you young ruffians,

PINOCCHIO 145

for you are nothing else ! These hand-to-hand
fights between boys seldom finish well. Some
disaster is sure to happen ! . . ."

Poor crab ! He might as well have preached
to the wind. Even that young rascal Pinoc-
chio, turning round, looked at him mockingly
and said rudely:

' Hold your tongue, you tiresome crab !
You had better suck some liquorice lozenges
to cure that cold in your throat. Or better
still, go to bed and try to get a reaction! '

Just then the boys, who had no more books
of their own to throw, spied at a little distance
the satchel that belonged to Pinocchio, and
took possession of it in less time than it takes
to tell.

Amongst the books there was one bound in
strong cardboard with the back and points of
parchment. It was a Treatise on Arithmetic.
I leave you to imagine if it was big or not!

One of the boys seized this volume, and
aiming at Pinocchio's head threw it at him
with all the force he could muster. But in-
stead of hitting the puppet it struck one of
his companions on the temple, who, turning
as white as a sheet, said only :

" Oh, mother, help ... I am dying! . . ."
and fell his whole length on the sand. Think-
10

146 PINOCCHIO

ing he was dead the terrified boys ran off as
hard as their legs could carry them, and in a
few minutes they were out of sight.

But Pinocchio remained. Although from
grief and fright he was more dead than alive,
nevertheless he ran and soaked his handkerchief
in the sea and began to bathe the temples of
his poor schoolfellow. Crying bitterly in his
despair he kept calling him by name and say-
ing to him:

' Eugene! . . . my poor Eugene! . . . open
your eyes and look at me ! . . . why do you not
answer? I did not do it, indeed it was not
I that hurt you so! believe me, it was not!
Open your eyes, Eugene. ... If you keep
your eyes shut I shall die too. . . . Oh! what
shall I do ? how shall I ever return home ? How
can I ever have the courage to go back to my
good mamma? What will become of me? . . .
Where can I fly to? .. .Oh! how much better it
would have been, a thousand times better, if
I had only gone to school ! . . . Why did I listen
to my companions? they have been my ruin.
The master said to me, and my mamma re-
peated it often: ' Beware of bad companions! '
But I am obstinate ... a wilful fool, ... I let
them talk and then I always take my own way !
and I have to suffer for it. ... And so, ever

PINOCCHIO 147

since I have been in the world, I have never
had a happy quarter of an hour. Oh dear!
what will become of me, what will become of
me, what will become of me? . . ."

And Pinocchio began to cry and sob, and
to strike his head with his fists, and to call poor
Eugene by his name. Suddenly he heard the
sound of approaching footsteps.

He turned and saw two carabineers.
' What are you doing there lying on the
ground? " they asked Pinocchio.

' I am helping my schoolfellow."

" Has he been hurt? "

" So it seems."

' Hurt indeed ! " said one of the carabineers,
stooping down and examining Eugene closely.
" This boy has been wounded in the temple.
Who wounded him? '

" Not I," stammered the puppet breath-
lessly.

" If it was not you, who then did it? '

" Not I," repeated Pinocchio.

" And with what was he wounded? '

" With this book." And the puppet picked
up from the ground the Treatise on Arithmetic,
bound in cardboard and parchment, and showed
it to the carabineer.

" And to whom does this book belong? '

" To me."

148 PINOCCHIO

" That is enough: nothing more is wanted.
Get up and come with us at once."

" But I . . ."

" Come along with us! . . ."

" But I am innocent. . . ."

" Come along with us!"

Before they left, the carabineers called
some fishermen, who were passing at that mo-
ment near the shore in their boat, and said to
them:

" We give this boy who has been wounded
in the head into your charge. Carry him to
your house and nurse him. To-morrow we
will come and see him."

They then turned to Pinocchio, and having
placed him between them they said to him in
a commanding voice :

" Forward! and walk quickly! or it will be
the worse for you."

Without requiring it to be repeated, the
puppet set out along the road leading to the
village. But the poor little devil hardly knew
where he was. He thought he must be dream-
ing, and what a dreadful dream! He was
beside himself. He saw double : his legs shook :
his tongue clung to the roof of his mouth, and
he could not utter a word. And yet in the
midst of his stupefaction and apathy, his heart
was pierced by a cruel thorn — the thought that

PINOCCHIO 149

he would have to pass under the windows of the
good Fairy's house between the carabineers.
He would rather have died.

They had already reached the village when
a gust of wind blew Pinocchio's cap off his
head and carried it ten yards off.

" Will you permit me," said the puppet
to the carabineers, " to go and get my cap? '

" Go, then; but be quick about it."

The puppet went and picked up his cap . . .
but instead of putting it on his head he took
it between his teeth and began to run as hard
as he could towards the seashore.

The carabineers, thinking it would be diffi-
cult to overtake him, sent after him a large
mastiff who had won the first prizes at all the
dog-races. Pinocchio ran, but the dog ran
faster. The people came to their windows and
crowded into the street in their anxiety to see
the end of the desperate race. But they could
not satisfy their curiosity, for Pinocchio and
the dog raised such clouds of dust that in a
few minutes nothing could be seen of either of
them

xxvur

PINOCCHIO IS IN DANGER OF BEING FRIED IN A
FRYING-PAN LIKE A FISH

"A HERE came a moment in this desper-
ate race — a terrible moment when Pin-
occhio thought himself lost: for you
must know that Alidoro — for so the mastiff
was called — had run so swiftly that he had
nearly come up with him.

The puppet could hear the panting of the
dreadful beast close behind him; there was
not a hand's breadth between them; he could
even feel the dog's hot breath.

Fortunately the shore was close and the sea
but a few steps off.

As soon as he reached the sands the puppet
made a wonderful leap — a frog could have done
no better — and plunged into the water.

Alidoro, on the contrary, wished to stop
himself; but carried away by the impetus of
the race he also went into the sea. The unfor-
tunate dog could not swim, but he made great
efforts to keep himself afloat with his paws;
but the more he struggled the farther he sank
head downwards under the water.

When he rose to the surface again his eyes
were rolling with terror, and he barked out:

" I am drowning! I am drowning! '

150

PINOCCHIO 151

' Drown! " shouted Pinocchio from a dis-
tance, seeing himself safe from all danger.

' Help me, dear Pinocchio! . . . save me
from death! . . ."

At that agonising cry the puppet, who had
in reality an excellent heart, was moved with
compassion, and turning to the dog he said:
' But if I save your life, will you promise
to give me no further annoyance, and not to
run after me ? '

"I promise! I promise! Be quick, for
pity's sake, for if you delay another half-
minute I shall be dead."

Pinocchio hesitated : but remembering that
his father had often told him that a good action
is never lost, he swam to Alidoro, and taking
hold of his tail with both hands brought him
safe and sound on to the dry sand of the beach.

The poor dog could not stand. He had
drunk, against his will, so much salt water that
he was like a balloon. The puppet, however,
not wishing to trust him too far, thought it
more prudent to jump again into the water.
When he had swum some distance from the
shore he called out to the friend he had rescued :

" Good-bye, Alidoro; a good journey to
you, and take my compliments to all at home."

" Good-bye, Pinocchio," answered the dog;
" a thousand thanks for having saved my life.

152 PINOCCHIO

You have done me a great service, and in this
world what is given is returned. If an occa-
sion offers I shall not forget it."

Pinocchio swam on, keeping always near
the land. At last he thought that he had
reached a safe place. Giving a look along the
shore he saw amongst the rocks a kind of cave
from which a cloud of smoke was ascending.

* In that cave," he said to himself, " there
must be a fire. So much the better. I will go
and dry and warm myself, and then? . . . and
then we shall see."

Having taken this resolution he approached
the rocks ; but as he was going to climb up, he
felt something under the water that rose higher
and higher and carried him into the air. He
tried to escape, but it was too late, for to his
extreme surprise he found himself enclosed in
a great net, together with a swarm of fish of
every size and shape, who were flapping and
struggling like so many despairing souls.

At the same moment a fisherman came out
of the cave; he was so ugly, so horribly ugly,
that he looked like a sea monster. Instead of
hair his head was covered with a thick bush
of green grass, his skin was green, his eyes
were green, his long beard that came down
to the ground was also green. He had the

PINOCCHIO 153

appearance of an immense lizard standing on
its hind-paws.

When the fisherman had drawn his net out
of the sea, he exclaimed with great satisfaction :

"Thank Heaven! Again to-day I shall
have a splendid feast of fish ! "

" What a mercy that I am not a fish! " said
Pinocchio to himself, regaining a little courage.

The net full of fish was carried into the
cave, which was dark and smoky. In the middle
of the cave a large frying-pan full of oil was
frying, and sending out a smell of mushrooms
that was suffocating.

" Now we will see what fish we have taken! '
said the green fisherman ; and putting into the
net an enormous hand, so out of all proportion
that it looked like a baker's shovel, he pulled
out a handful of mullet.

" These mullet are good! " he said, looking
at them and smelling them complacently. And
he then threw them into a pan without water.

He repeated the same operation many
times; and as he drew out the fish, his mouth
watered and he said, chuckling to himself:

"What good whiting!..."

" What exquisite sardines ! . . ."

" These soles are delicious ! . . ."

" And these crabs excellent! . . ."

" What dear little anchovies! .

154 PINOCCHIO

I need not tell you that the whiting, the
sardines, the soles, the crabs, and the anchovies
were all thrown promiscuously into the pan
to keep company with the mullet.

The last to remain in the net was Pinocchio.

No sooner had the fisherman taken him
out than he opened his big green eyes with
astonishment, and cried, half-f rightened :

' What species of fish is this? Fish of this
kind I never remember to have eaten I '

And he looked at him again and having
examined him well, he ended by saying:
' I know: he must be a craw-fish."

Pinocchio, mortified, at being mistaken for
a craw-fish, said in an angry voice:

' A craw-fish indeed ! do you take me for
a craw-fish? I tell you that I am a puppet."

" A puppet? " replied the fisherman. " To
tell the truth, a puppet is quite a new fish for
me. I shall eat you with greater pleasure."

"Eat me! but will you understand that I
am not a fish? Do you hear that I talk and
reason as you do? '

' That is quite true," said the fisherman;
' and as I see that you are a fish possessed of
the talent of talking and reasoning, I will treat
you with all the attention that is your due."

" And this attention? . . ."

" In token of my friendship and particular

'WHAT SPECIES OF FISH is THIS.'

I .1-ATJ

PINOCCHIO 155

regard, I will leave you the choice of how you
would like to be cooked. Would you like to
be fried in the frying-pan, or would you prefer
to be stewed with tomato sauce? '

' To tell the truth," answered Pinocchio,
' if I am to choose, I should prefer to be set
at liberty and to return home."

You are joking! Do you imagine that
I would lose the opportunity of tasting such a
rare fish? It is not every day, I assure you,
that a puppet fish is caught in these waters.
Leave it to me. I will fry you with the other
fish, and you will be quite satisfied. It is
always consolation to be fried in company."

At this speech the unhappy Pinocchio be-
gan to cry and scream and to implore for
mercy; and he said, sobbing: " How much bet-
ter it would have been if I had gone to school!
... I would listen to my companions and now
I am paying for it! Ih! ... Ih! ... Ih! ..."

And he wriggled like an eel, and made in-
describable efforts to slip out of the clutches
of the green fisherman. But it was useless:
the fisherman cook a long strip of rush, and
having bound his hands and feet as if he had
been a sausage, he threw him into the pan with
the other fish.

He then fetched a wooden bowl full of flour
and began to flour them each in turn, and as

156 PINOCCHIO

soon as they were ready he threw them into
the frying-pan.

The first to dance in the boiling oil were
the poor whiting; the crabs followed, then the
sardines, then the soles, then the anchovies, and
at last it was Pinocchio's turn. Seeing himself
so near death, and such a horrible death, he
was so frightened, and trembled so violently,
that he had neither voice nor breath left for
further entreaties.

But the poor boy implored with his eyes!
The green fisherman, however, without caring
in the least, plunged him five or six times in
the flour, until he was white from head to foot,
and looked like a puppet made of plaster.

He then took him by the head, and. . . .

XXIX

HE RETURNS TO THE FAIRY'S HOUSE. SHE
PROMISES HIM THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY
HE SHALL CEASE TO BE A PUPPET AND SHALL
BECOME A BOY. GRAND BREAKFAST OF
COFFEE AND MILK TO CELEBRATE THIS GREAT
EVENT

JUST as the fisherman was on the point of
throwing Pinocchio into the frying-pan a
large dog entered the cave, enticed there
by the strong and savoury odour of fried fish.

"Get out!" shouted the fisherman threat-
eningly, holding the floured puppet in his hand.

But the poor dog, who was as hungry as a
wolf, whined and wagged his tail as much as
to say:

" Give me a mouthful of fish and I will
leave you in peace."

" Get out, I tell you! " repeated the fisher-
man, and he stretched out his leg to give him
a kick.

But the dog, who, when he was really hun-
gry, would not stand trifling, turned upon him,
growling and showing his terrible tusks.

At that moment a little feeble voice was
heard in the cave saying entreatingly :

" Save me, Alidoro ! If you do not save
me I shall be fried! . . ."

151

158 PINOCCHIO

The dog recognised Pinocchio's voice, and
to his extreme surprise perceived that it pro-
ceeded from the floured bundle that the fisher-
man held in his hand.

So what do you think he did? He made a
spring, seized the bundle in his mouth, and hold-
ing it gently between his teeth he rushed out
of the cave and was gone like a flash of
lightning.

The fisherman, furious at seeing a fish he
was so anxious to eat snatched from him, ran
after the dog; but he had not gone many steps
when he was taken with a fit of coughing and
had to give it up.

Alidoro, when he had reached the path that
led to the village, stopped, and put his friend
Pinocchio gently on the ground.

"How much I have to thank you for!'
said the puppet.

" There is no necessity," replied the dog.
" You saved me and I have now returned it.
You know that we must all help each other in
this world."

"But how came you to come to the cave? '

" I was lying on the shore more dead than
alive when the wind brought to me the smell of
fried fish. The smell excited my appetite,
and I followed it up. If I had arrived a second
later.

PINOCCHIO 159

"Do not mention it!" groaned Pinocchio,
who was still trembling with fright. ' Do not
mention it ! If you had arrived a second later
I should by this time have been fried, eaten,
and digested. Brrr ! ... it makes me shuddej1
only to think of it! . . ."

Alidoro, laughing, extended his right paw
to the puppet, who shook it heartily in token
of great friendship, and they then separated.

The dog took the road home; and Pinoc-
chio, left alone, went to a cottage not far off,
and said to a little old man who was warming
himself in the sun:

" Tell me, good man, do you know any-
thing of a poor boy called Eugene who was
wounded in the head? ..."

" The boy was brought by some fishermen
to this cottage, and now. ..."

"And now he is dead! ..." interrupted
Pinocchio with great sorrow.

" No, he is alive, and has returned to his
home."

" Not really? not really? " cried the puppet,
dancing with delight. Then the wound was
not serious? . . ."

" It might have been very serious and even
fatal," answered the old man, " for they threw
a thick book bound in cardboard at his head."

" And who threw it at him? "

160 PINOCCHIO

" One of his schoolfellows, a certain Pin-
occhio. . . ."

;* And who is this Pinocchio? ' ' asked the
puppet, pretending ignorance.

' They say that he is a bad boy, a vagabond,
a regular good-for-nothing. . . ."

" Calumnies! all calumnies!'

" Do you know this Pinocchio? '

" By sight," answered the puppet.

" And what is your opinion of him? " asked
the little man.

" He seems to me to be a very good boy,
anxious to learn, and obedient and affectionate
to his father and family. . . ."

Whilst the puppet was firing off all these
lies, he touched his nose and perceived that it
had lengthened more than a hand. Very much
alarmed he began to cry out:

" Don't believe, good man, what I have been
telling you. I know Pinocchio very well, and
I can assure you that he is .really a very bad
boy, disobedient and idle, who instead of going
to school runs off with his companions to amuse
himself."

He had hardly finished speaking when his
nose became shorter and returned to the same
size that it was before.

" And why are you all covered with white? '
asked the old man suddenly.

PINOCCHIO 161

' I will tell you. . . . Without observing it
I rubbed myself against a wall which had been
freshly whitewashed," answered the puppet,
ashamed to confess that he had been floured
like a fish prepared for the frying-pan.

' And what have you done with your
jacket, your trousers, and your cap? '

' I met with robbers who took them from
me. Tell me, good old man, could you per-
haps give me some clothes to return home in? '

' My boy, as to clothes, I have nothing but
a little sack in which I keep beans. If you wish
for it, take it; there it is."

Pinocchio did not wait to be told twice. He
took the sack at once, and with a pair of scissors
he cut a hole at the end and at each side, and
put it on like a shirt. And with this slight
clothing he set off for the village.

But as he went he did not feel at all com-
fortable— so little so, indeed, that for a step
forward he took another backwards, and he
said, talking to himself:

' How shall I ever present myself to my
good little Fairy? What will she say when
she sees me? . . . Will she forgive me this
second escapade? ... I bet that she will not
forgive me! Oh, I am sure that she will not
forgive me! . . . And it serves me right, for I
11

162 PINOCCHIO

am a rascal. I am always promising to correct
myself, and I never keep my word! . . ."

When he reached the village it was night
and very dark. A storm had come on, and
as the rain was coming down in torrents he
went straight to the Fairy's house, resolved to
knock at the door, and hoping to be let in.

But when he was there his courage failed
him, and instead of knocking he ran away some
twenty paces. He returned to the door a
second time, but could not make up his mind;
he came back a third time, still he dared not;
the fourth time he laid hold of the knocker and,
trembling, gave a little knock.

He waited and waited. At last, after half
an hour had passed, a window on the top floor
was opened — the house was four stories high —
and Pinocchio saw a Snail with a lighted candle
on her head looking out. She called to him :

" Who is there at this hour? "

" Is the Fairy at home? " asked the puppet.

" The Fairy is asleep and must not be
awakened ; but who are you? '

"It is I!"

"Who is I?"

" Pinocchio."

" And who is Pinocchio? '

" The puppet who lives in the Fairy's
house."

PINOCCHIO 163

"Ah, I understand ! " said the Snail. " Wait
for me there. I will come down and open the
door directly."

" Be quick, for pity's sake, for I am dying
of cold."

" My boy, I am a snail, and snails are never
in a hurry."

An hour passed, and then two, and the door
was not opened. Pinocchio, who was wet
through, and trembling from cold and fear, at
last took courage and knocked again, and this
time he knocked louder.

At this second knock a window on the lower
story opened, and the same Snail appeared at it.

" Beautiful little Snail," cried Pinocchio
from the street, " I have been waiting for two
hours! And two hours on such a bad night
seem longer than two years. Be quick, for
pity's sake."

" My boy," answered the calm, phlegmatic
little animal- -" my boy, I am a snail, and
snails are never in a hurry."

And the window was shut again.

Shortly afterwards midnight struck; then
one o'clock, then two o'clock, and the door
remained still closed.

Pinocchio at last, losing all patience, seized
the knocker in a rage, intending to give a blow
that would resound through the house. But

164 PINOCCHIO

the knocker, which was iron, turned suddenly
into an eel, and slipping out of his hands dis-
appeared in the stream of water that ran down
the middle of the street.

" Ah! is that it? " shouted Pinocchio, blind
with rage. ' Since the knocker has disap-
peared, I will kick instead with all my might."

And drawing a little back he gave a tre-
mendous kick against the house door. The blow
was indeed so violent that his foot went through
the wood and stuck ; and when he tried to draw
it back again it was trouble thrown away, for
it remained fixed like a nail that has been
hammered down.

Think of poor Pinocchio ! He was obliged
to spend the remainder of the night with one
foot on the ground and the other in the air.

The following morning at daybreak the
door was at last opened. That clever little
Snail had taken only nine hours to come down
from the fourth story to the door. It is evident
that her exertions must have been great.

' What are you doing with your foot stuck
in the door? " she asked the puppet, laughing.

" It was an accident. Do try, beautiful
little Snail, if you cannot release me from this
torture."

" My boy, that is the work of a carpenter,
and I have never been a carpenter."

PINOCCHIO 165

" Beg the Fairy from me! . . ."

" The Fairy is asleep and must not be
wakened."

" But what do you suppose that I can do
all day nailed to this door? '

" Amuse yourself by counting the ants that
pass down the street."

' Bring me at least something to eat, for
I am quite exhausted."

" At once," said the Snail.

In fact, after three hours and a half she
returned to Pinocchio carrying a silver tray
on her head. The tray contained a loaf of
bread, a roast chicken, and four ripe apricots.

' Here is the breakfast that the Fairy has
sent you," said the Snail.

The puppet felt very much comforted at
the sight of these good things. But when he
began to eat them, what was his disgust at
making the discovery that the bread was
plaster, the chicken cardboard, and the four
apricots painted alabaster.

He wanted to cry. In his desperation he
tried to throw away the tray and all that was
on it; but instead, either from grief or exhaus-
tion, he fainted away.

When he came to himself he found that he
was lying on a sofa, and the Fairy was beside
him.

166 PINOCCfflO

* I will pardon you once more," the Fairy
said, " but woe to you if you behave badly a
third time ! . . ."

Pinocchio promised, and swore that he
would study, and that for the future he would
always conduct himself well.

And he kept his word for the remainder of
the year. Indeed, at the examinations before
the holidays, he had the honour of being the
first in the school, and his behaviour in general
was so satisfactory and praiseworthy that the
Fairy was very much pleased, and said to him :
1 To-morrow your wish shall be gratified."

"And that is?"

: To-morrow you shall cease to be a wooden
puppet, and you shall become a boy."

No one who had not witnessed it could ever
imagine Pinocchio's joy at this long-sighed-for
good fortune. All his schoolfellows were to be
invited for the following day to a grand break-
fast at the Fairy's house, that they might cele-
brate together the great event. The Fairy had
prepared two hundred cups of coffee and milk,
and four hundred rolls cut and buttered on each
side. The day promised to be most happy and
delightful, but . . .

Unfortunately in the lives of puppets there
is always a " but " that spoils everything.

XXX

PINOCCHIO, INSTEAD OF BECOMING A BOY, STARTS
SECRETLY WITH HIS FRIEND CANDLEWICK
FOR THE " LAND OF BOOBIES "

PINOCCHIO, as was natural, asked the
Fairy's permission to go round the town
to make the invitations; and the Fairy
said to him :

' Go if you like and invite your companions
for the breakfast to-morrow, but remember to
return home before dark. Have you under-
stood? "

' I promise to be back in an hour," answered
the puppet.

' Take care, Pinocchio! Boys are always
very ready to promise ; but generally they are
little given to keep their word."

" But I am not like other boys. When I
say a thing, I do it."

! We shall see. If you are disobedient, so
much the worse for you."

" Why? "

" Because boys who do not listen to the
advice of those who know more than they do
always meet with some misfortune or other."

" I have experienced that," said Pinocchio.
' But I shall never make that mistake again."

" We shall see if that is true."

167

168 PINOCCHIO

Without saying more the puppet took leave
of his good Fairy, who was like a mamma to
him, and went out of the house singing and
dancing.

In less than an hour all his friends were
invited. Some accepted at once heartily;
others at first required pressing; but when they
heard that the rolls to be eaten with the coffee
were to be buttered on both sides, they ended
by saying:

" We will come also, to do you a pleasure."

Now I must tell you that amongst Pinoc-
chio's friends and schoolfellows there was one
that he greatly preferred and was very fond
of. This boy's name was Romeo ; but he always
went by the nickname of Candlewick, because
he was so thin, straight, and bright like the new
wick of a little nightlight.

Candlewick was the laziest and the naugh-
tiest boy in the school; but Pinocchio was de-
voted to him. He had indeed gone at once
to his house to invite him to the breakfast, but
he had not found him. He returned a second
time, but Candlewick was not there. He went
a third time, but it was in vain. Where could
he search for him? He looked here, there,
and everywhere, and at last he saw him hiding
in the porch of a peasant's cottage.

PINOCCHIO 169

" What are you doing there? ' asked
Pinocchio, coming up to him.

" I am waiting for midnight, to start . . ."

" Why, where are you going? '

" Very far, very far, very far away."

" And I have been three times to your house
to look for you."

"What did you want with me?'

" Do you not know the great event? Have
you not heard of my good fortune? '

"What is it?"

" To-morrow I cease to be a puppet, and I
become a boy like you and all the other boys."

" Much good may it do you."

" To-morrow, therefore, I expect you to
breakfast at my house."

4 But when I tell you that I am going away
to-night."

"At what o'clock?"

" In a short time."

" And where are you going? '

" I am going to live in a country . . . the
most delightful country in the world: a real
land of Cocagne! . . ."

" And how is it called? "

" It is called the * Land of Boobies/ Why
do you not come too? '

"I? No, never!"

170 PINOCCHIO

" You are wrong, Pinocchio. Believe me,
if you do not come you will repent it. Where
could you find a better country for us boys?
There are no schools there: there are no mas-
ters: there are no books. In that delightful
land nobody ever studies. On Thursday there
is never school; and every week consists of six
Thursdays and one Sunday. Only think, the
autumn holidays begin on the 1st of January
and finish on the last day of December. That
is the country for me ! That is what all civilised
countries should be like! . . ."

" But how are the days spent in the ' Land
of Boobies'?"

" They are spent in play and amusement
from morning till night. When night comes
you go to bed, and recommence the same life
in the morning. What do you think of it? '

' Hum ! . . ." said Pinocchio ; and he shook
his head slightly as much as to say, ' : That is
a life that I also would willingly lead."

" Well, will you go with me? Yes or no?
Resolve quickly."

" No, no, no, and again no. I promised
my good Fairy to become a well-conducted boy,
and I will keep my word. And as I see that
the sun is setting I must leave you at once and
run away. Good-bye, and a pleasant journey
to you."

PINOCCHIO 171

' Where are you rushing off to in such a
hurry? '

" Home. My good Fairy wishes me to be
back before dark."

' Wait another two minutes."

" It will make me too late."

' Only two minutes."

" And if the Fairy scolds me? '

" Let her scold. When she has scolded
well she will hold her tongue," said that rascal
Candlewick.

' And what are you going to do ? Are you
going alone or with companions? '

" Alone? We shall be more than a hundred
boys."

" And do you make the journey on foot? '

" A coach will pass by shortly which is to
take me to that happy country."

" What would I not give for the coach to
pass by now! . . ."

" Why? "

" That I might see you all start together."

" Stay here a little longer and you will see

us."

' No, no, I must go home."
" Wait another two minutes."
" I have already delayed too long. The
Fairy will be anxious about me

172 PINOCCHIO

" Poor Fairy! Is she afraid that the bats
will eat you? '

" But now," continued Pinocchio, " are you
really certain that there are no schools in that
country? . . ."

' Not even the shadow of one."

' And no masters either? . . ."

" Not one."

" And no one is ever made to study? '

" Never, never, never! '

" What a delightful country! " said Pinoc-
chio, his mouth watering. " What a delightful
country! I have never been there, but I can
quite imagine it . . ."

" Why will you not come also? '

" It is useless to tempt me. I promised my
good Fairy to become a sensible boy, and I
will not break my word."

" Good-bye, then, and give my compliments
to all the boys at the gymnasiums, and also to
those of the lyceums, if you meet them in the
street."

" Good-bye, Candlewick: a pleasant jour-
ney to you, amuse yourself, and think some-
times of your friends."

Thus saying, the puppet made two steps to
go, but then stopped, and turning to his friend
he inquired:

"But are you quite certain that in that

PINOCCHIO 173

country all the weeks consist of six Thursdays
and one Sunday? '

" Most certain."

"But do you know for certain that the
holidays begin on the 1st of January and finish
on the last day of December? '

" Assuredly."

"What a delightful country!" repeated
Pinocchio, looking enchanted. Then, with a
resolute air, he added in a great hurry:

" This time really good-bye, and a pleasant
journey to you."

" Good-bye."

" When do you start?

" Shortly."

" What a pity! If really it wanted only an
hour to the time of your start, I should be
almost tempted to wait."

"And the Fairy?"

" It is already late. ... If I return home
an hour sooner or an hour later it will be all
the same."

" Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds
you? "

" I must have patience ! I will let her scold.
When she has scolded well she will hold her
tongue."

In the meantime night had come on and it
was quite dark. Suddenly they saw in the

174 PINOCCHIO

distance a small light moving . . . and they
heard a noise of talking, and the sound of a
trumpet, but so small and feeble that it re-
sembled the hum of a mosquito.

" Here it is! " shouted Candlewick, jump-
ing to his feet.

" What is it? " asked Pinocchio in a whisper.

" It is the coach coming to take me. Now
will you come, yes or no? '

" But is it really true," asked the puppet,
" that in that country boys are never obliged
to study?"

" Never, never, never! '

" What a delightful country! . . . What a
delightful country! . . . What a delightful
country ! >:

XXXI

AFTER FIVE MONTHS' RESIDENCE IN THE LAND OF
COCAGNE, PINOCCHIO, TO HIS GREAT ASTON-
ISHMENT, GROWS A BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF

DONKEY'S EARS, AND HE BECOMES A LITTLE

DONKEY, TAIL AND ALL

A last the coach arrived; and it arrived
without making the slightest noise, for
its wheels were bound round with tow
and rags.

It was drawn by twelve pairs of donkeys,
all the same size but of different colours.

Some were gray, some white, some brindled
like pepper and salt, and others had large
stripes of yellow and blue.

But the most extraordinary thing was this:
the twelve pairs, that is, the twenty-four don-
keys, instead of being shod like other beasts
of burden, had on their feet men's boots made
of white kid.

And the coachman? . . .

Picture to yourself a little man broader
than he was long, flabby and greasy like a lump
of butter, with a small round face like an
orange, a little mouth that was always laugh-
ing, and a soft caressing voice like a cat's when
she is trying to insinuate herself into the good
graces of the mistress of the house.

175

176 PINOCCHIO

All the boys as soon as they saw him fell
in love with him, and vied with each other in
taking places in his coach to be conducted to
the true land of Cocagne, known on the geo-
graphical map by the seducing name of the
" Land of Boobies."

The coach was in fact quite full of boys
between eight and twelve years old, heaped
one upon another like herrings in a barrel.
They were uncomfortable, packed close to-
gether and could hardly breathe: but nobody
said Oh ! — nobody grumbled. The consolation
of knowing that in a few hours they would
reach a country where there were no books,
no schools, and no masters, made them so happy
and resigned that they felt neither fatigue nor
inconvenience, neither hunger, nor thirst, nor
want of sleep.

As soon as the coach had drawn up, the little
man turned to Candlewick, and with a thou-
sand smirks and grimaces said to him, smiling :

" Tell me, my fine boy, would you also like
to go to that fortunate country? '

" I certainly wish to go."

" But I must warn you, my dear child, that
there is not a place left in the coach. You can
see for yourself that it is quite full . . ."

"No matter," replied Candlewick; "if

PINOCCHIO 177

there is no place inside, I will manage to sit
on the springs."

And giving a leap he seated himself astride
on the springs.

" And you, my love ! . . ." said the little man,
turning in a flattering manner to Pinocchio,
" what do you intend to do? Are you coming
with us, or are you going to remain behind ? '

" I remain behind," answered Pinocchio.
" I am going home. I intend to study and to
earn a good character at school, as all well-
conducted boys do."

" Much good may it do you! '

"Pinocchio!' called out Candlewick,
" listen to me : come with us and we shall have
such fun."

"No, no, no!"

" Come with us, and we shall have such
fun! " cried four other voices from the inside
of the coach.

" Come with us, and we shall have such
fun! " shouted in chorus a hundred voices from
the inside of the coach.

" But if I come with you, what will my good
Fairy say?" said the puppet, beginning to yield.

" Do not trouble your head with melancholy
thoughts. Consider only that we are going to
a country where we shall be at liberty to run
riot from morning till night."
12

178 PINOCCHIO

Pinocchio did not answer; but he sighed:
he sighed again: he sighed for the third time,
and he said finally:

" Make a little room for me, for I am com-
ing too."

" The places are all full," replied the little
man ; " but to show you how welcome you are,
you shall have my seat on the box ..."

" And you? . . ."

" Oh, I will go on foot."

" No, indeed, I could not allow that. I
would rather mount one of these donkeys,"
cried Pinocchio.

Approaching the right-hand donkey of the
first pair he attempted to mount him, but the
animal turned on him, and giving him a great
blow in the stomach rolled him over with his
legs in the air.

You can imagine the impertinent and im-
moderate laughter of all the boys who wit-
nessed this scene.

But the little man did not laugh. He ap-
proached the rebellious donkey and, pretend-
ing to give him a kiss, bit off half of his ear.

Pinocchio in the meantime had got up from
the ground in a fury, and with a spring he
seated himself on the poor animal's back. And
he sprang so well that the boys stopped laugh-
ing and began to shout: " Hurrah, Pinocchio! '

PINOCCHIO 179

and they clapped their hands and applauded
him as if they would never finish.

But the donkey suddenly kicked up its
hind-legs and backing violently threw the poor
puppet into the middle of the road on to a heap
of stones.

The roars of laughter recommenced: but
the little man, instead of laughing, felt such
affection for the restive ass that he kissed him
again, and as he did so he bit half of his other
ear clean off. He then said to the puppet:

" Mount him now without fear. That little
donkey had got some whim into his head; but
I whispered two little words into his ears which
have, I hope, made him gentle and reasonable."

Pinocchio mounted, and the coach started.
Whilst the donkeys were galloping and the
coach was rattling over the stones of the high
road, the puppet thought that he heard a low
voice that was scarcely intelligible saying to
him:

"Poor fool! you would follow your own
way, but you will repent it! '

Pinocchio, feeling almost frightened, looked
from side to side to try and discover where these
words could come from: but he saw nobody.
The donkeys galloped, the coach rattled, the
boys inside slept, Candlewick snored like a

180 PINOCCHIO

dormouse, and the little man seated on the box
sang between his teeth :

" During the night all sleep,
But I sleep never . . ."

After they had gone another mile, Pinoc-
chio heard the same little low voice saying to
him:

"Bear it in mind, simpleton! Boys who
refuse to study, and turn their backs upon
books, schools, and masters, to pass their time
in play and amusement, sooner or later come
to a bad end. ... I know it by experience . . .
and I can tell you. A day will come when you
will weep as I am weeping now . . . but then
it will be too late! ..."

On hearing these words whispered very
softly the puppet, more frightened than ever,
sprang down from the back of his donkey and
went and took hold of his mouth.

Imagine his surprise when he found that the
donkey was crying . . . and he was crying like
a boy!

'Eh! Sir coachman," cried 'Pinocchio to
the little man, " here is an extraordinary thing!
This donkey is crying."

' Let him cry; he will laugh when he is a
bridegroom."

PINOCCHIO 181

' But have you by chance taught him to
talk?"

' No; but he spent three years in a com-
pany of learned dogs, and he learnt to mutter
a few words."

"Poor beast!"

' Come, come," said the little man, " don't
let us waste time in seeing a donkey cry. Mount
him, and let us go on : the night is cold and the
road is long."

Pinocchio obeyed without another word. In
the morning about daybreak they arrived safely
in the " Land of Boobies."

It was a country unlike any other country
in the world. The population was composed
entirely of boys. The oldest were fourteen,
and the youngest scarcely eight years old. In
the streets there was such merriment, noise,
and shouting, that it was enough to turn any-
body's head. There were troops of boys every-
where. Some were playing with nuts, some
with battledores, some with balls. Some rode
velocipedes, others wooden horses. A party
were playing at hide and seek, a few were chas-
ing each other. Boys dressed in straw were
eating lighted tow; some were reciting, some
singing, some leaping. Some were amusing
themselves with walking on their hands with
their feet in the air; others were trundling

182 PINOCCHIO

hoops, or strutting about dressed as generals,
wearing leaf helmets and commanding a squad-
ron of cardboard soldiers. Some were laugh-
ing, some shouting, some were calling out;
others clapped their hands, or whistled, or
clucked like a hen who has just laid an egg.
To sum it all up, it was such a pandemonium,
such a bedlam, such an uproar, that not to be
deafened it would have been necessary to stuff
one's ears with cotton wool. In every square,
canvas theatres had been erected, and they were
crowded with boys from morning till evening.
On the walls of the houses there were inscrip-
tions written in charcoal: ' Long live play-
things, we will have no more schools : down with
arithmetic: " and similar other fine sentiments
all in bad spelling.

Pinocchio, Candlewick, and the other boys
who had made the journey with the little man,
had scarcely set foot in the town before they
were in the thick of the tumult, and I need not
tell you that in a few minutes they had made
acquaintance with everybody. Where could
happier or more contented boys be found?

In the midst of continual games and every
variety of amusement, the hours, the days, and
the weeks passed like lightning.

" Oh, what a delightful life! " said Pinoc-
chio, whenever by chance he met Candlewick.

PINOCCHIO 183

' See, then, if I was not right? " replied the
other. ' And to think that you did not want
to come! To think that you had taken it into
your head to return home to your Fairy, and to
lose your time in studying! ... If you are at
this moment free from the bother of books and
school, you must acknowledge that you owe it
to me, to my advice and to my persuasions. It
is only friends who know how to render such
great services."

' It is true, Candlewick! If I am now a
really happy boy, it is all your doing. But do
you know what the master used to say when
he talked to me of you? He always said to
me : * Do not associate with that rascal Candle-
wick, for he is a bad companion, and will only
lead you into mischief! . . .'

* Poor master! " replied the other, shaking
his head. ' I know only too well that he dis-
liked me, and amused himself by calumniating
me ; but I am generous and I forgive him ! '

' Noble soul ! " said Pinocchio, embracing
his friend and kissing him between the eyes.
This delightful life had gone on for five
months. The days had been entirely spent in
play and amusement, without a thought of
books or school, when one morning Pinocchio
awoke to a most disagreeable surprise that put
him into a very bad humour.

XXXII

FINOCCHIO GETS DONKEY'S EARS', AND THEN HE
BECOMES A REAL LITTLE DONKEY AND BEGINS
TO BRAY

WHAT was this surprise?
I will tell you, my dear little readers.
The surprise was that Pinocchio when
he awoke scratched his head ; and in scratching
his head he discovered. . . . Can you guess in
the least what he discovered?

He discovered to his great astonishment
that his ears had grown more than a hand.

You know that the puppet from his birth
had always had very small ears — so small that
they were not visible to the naked eye. You
can ima,gine then what he felt when he found
that during the night his ears had become so
long that they seemed like two brooms.

He went at once in search of a glass that
he might look at himself, but not being able
to find one he filled the basin of his washing-
stand with water, and he saw reflected what
he certainly would never have wished to see.
He saw his head embellished with a magnificent
pair of donkey's ears!

Only think of poor Pinocchio's sorrow,
shame, and despair!

He began to cry and roar, and he beat his

184

PINOCCHIO 185

head against the wall; but the more he cried
the longer his ears grew : they grew, and grew,
and became hairy towards the points.

At the sound of his loud outcries a beau-
tiful little Marmot that lived on the first floor
came into the room. Seeing the puppet in
such grief she asked earnestly:

" What has happened to you, my dear
fellow-lodger? '

" I am ill, my dear little Marmot, very ill
. . . and of an illness that frightens me. Do
you understand counting a pulse? '

" A little."

" Then feel and see if by chance I have got
fever."

The little Marmot raised her right fore-
paw, and after having felt Pinocchio's pulse
she said to him, sighing:

" My friend, I am grieved to be obliged to
give you bad news! ..."

" What is it? '

" You have got a very bad fever ! . . ."

"What fever is it?"

" It is donkey fever."

" That is a fever that I do not understand,**
said the puppet, but he understood it only too
well.

" Then I will explain it to you," said the
Marmot. " You must know that in two or

186 PINOCCHIO

three hours you will be no longer a puppet, or
a boy. . . ."

" Then what shall I be? "

' In two or three hours you will become
really and truly a little donkey, like those that
draw carts and carry cabbages and salad to
market."

" Oh! unfortunate that I am! unfortunate
that I am!" cried Pinocchio, seizing his two
ears with his hands, and pulling them and
tearing them furiously as if they had been some
one else's ears.

" My dear boy," said the Marmot, by way
of consoling him, " what can you do to pre-
vent it? It is destiny. It is written in the
decrees of wisdom that all boys who are lazy,
and who take a dislike to books, to schools, and
to masters, and who pass their time in amuse-
ment, games, and diversions, must end sooner
or later by becoming transformed into so many
little donkeys."

"But is it really so?' asked the puppet,
sobbing.

" It is indeed only too true! And tears are
now useless. You should have thought of it
sooner! '

" But it was not my fault: believe me, little
Marmot, the fault was all Candlewick's ! . . ."

" And who is this Candlewick? "

PINOCCHIO 187

" One of my schoolfellows. I wanted to
return home : I wanted to be obedient. I wished
to study and to earn a good character . . . but
Candlewick said to me : * Why should you
bother yourself by studying? Why should you
go to school? . . . Come with us instead to the
" Land of Boobies " : there we shall none of
us have to learn: there we shall amuse our-
selves from morning to night, and we shall
always be merry.'

" And why did you follow the advice of
that false friend? of that bad companion? '

" Why? . . . Because, my dear little Marmot,
I am a puppet with no sense . . . and with no
heart. Ah ! if I had had the least heart I should
never have left that good Fairy who loved me
like a mamma, and who had done so much for
me! ... and I should be no longer a puppet
. . . for I should by this time have become a
little boy like so many others! But if I meet
Candlewick, woe to him! He shall hear what
I think of him! . . ."

And he turned to go out. But when he
reached the door he remembered his donkey's
ears, and feeling ashamed to show them in pub-
lic, what do you think he did? He took a big
cotton cap, and putting it on his head he pulled
it well down over the point of his nose.

He then set out, and went everywhere in

188 PINOCCHIO

search of Candlewick. He looked for him in
the streets, in the squares, in the little theatres,
in every possible place; but he could not find
him. He inquired for him of everybody he
met, but no one had seen him.

He then went to seek him at his house ; and
having reached the door he knocked.

" Who is there? " asked Candlewick.
' It is I ! " answered the puppet.
' Wait a moment and I will let you in."

After half an hour the door was opened,
and imagine Pinocchio's feelings when upon
going into the room he saw his friend Candle-
wick with a big cotton cap on his head which
came down over his nose.

At the sight of the cap Pinocchio felt almost
consoled, and thought to himself:

" Has my friend got the same illness that
I have? Is he also suffering from donkey
fever? . . ."

And pretending to have observed nothing
he asked him, smiling:

" How are you, my dear Candlewick? '

" Very well ; as well as a mouse in a Par-
mesan cheese."

" Are you saying that seriously? '

" Why should I tell you a lie? "

" Excuse me ; but why, then, do you keep
on that cotton cap which covers up your ears? '

PINOCCHIO 189

' The doctor ordered me to wear it because
I have hurt this knee. And you, dear puppet,
why have you got on that cotton cap pulled
down over your nose ? '

" The doctor prescribed it because I have
grazed my foot."

* Oh, poor Pinocchio! . . ."

" Oh, poor Candlewick! . . ."

After these words a long silence followed,
during which the two friends did nothing but
look mockingly at each other.

At last the puppet said in a soft mellifluous
voice to his companion :

' Satisfy my curiosity, my dear Candle-
wick: have you ever suffered from disease of
the ears? '

"Never!.. .And you?"

"Never! Only since this morning one of
my ears aches."

" Mine is also paining me."

" You also? . . . And which of your ears
hurts you? '

" Both of them. And you? "

" Both of them. Can we have got the same
illness?"

" I fear so."

Will you do me a kindness, Candlewick? '
Willingly! With all my heart."
Will you let me see your ears? "

190 PINOCCHIO

; Why not? But first, my dear Pinocchio,
I should like to see yours."

' No : you must be the first."

" No, dear! First you and then I! "
( Well," said the puppet, " let us come to
an agreement like good friends."

' Let us hear it."

5 We will both take off our caps at the
same moment. Do you agree? '

" I agree."

"Then attention!"

Pinocchio began to count in a loud voice:

"One! Two! Three!"

At the word three! the two boys took off
their caps and threw them into the air.

And then a scene followed that would seem
incredible if it was not true. That is, that when
Pinocchio and Candlewick discovered that
they were both struck with the same misfor-
tune, instead of feeling full of mortification
and grief, they began to prick their ungainly
ears and to make a thousand antics, and they
ended by going into bursts of laughter.

And they laughed, and laughed, and
laughed, until they had to hold themselves to-
gether. But in the midst of their merriment,
Candlewick suddenly stopped, staggered, and
changing colour said to his friend :

"Help, help, Pinocchio!"

AND THEY LAUGHED, AND LAUGHED. AND LAUGHED

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PINOCCHIO 191

" What is the matter with you? '
' Alas, I cannot any longer stand upright."
' No more can I," exclaimed Pinocchio,
tottering and beginning to cry.

And whilst they were talking they both
doubled up and began to run round the room
on their hands and feet. And as they ran, their
hands became hoofs, their faces lengthened into
muzzles, and their backs became covered with
a light gray hairy coat sprinkled with black.

But do you know what was the worst mo-
ment for these two wretched boys ? The worst
and the most humiliating moment was when
their tails grew. Vanquished by shame and
by sorrow they wept and lamented their fate.

Oh, if they had but been wiser! But in-
stead of sighs and lamentations they could only
bray like asses; and they brayed loudly and
said in chorus: " j-a, j-a, j-a."

Whilst this was going on some one knocked
at the door, and a voice on the outside said :

" Open the doe~! I am the little man, I
am the coachman, who brought you to this
country. Open at one*1, or it will be the worse
for you! "

XXXIII

PINOCCHIO, HAVING BECOME A GENUINE LITTLE
DONKEY, IS TAKEN TO BE SOLD, AND IS
BOUGHT BY THE DIRECTOR OF A COMPANY OF
BUFFOONS TO BE TAUGHT TO DANCE, AND TO
JUMP THROUGH HOOPS! BUT ONE EVENING
HE LAMES HIMSELF, AND THEN HE IS
BOUGHT BY A MAN WHO PURPOSES TO MAKE
A DRUM OF HIS SKIN

FINDING that the door remained shut
the little man burst it open with a violent
kick, and coming into the room he said
to Pinocchio and Candlewick with his usual
little laugh:

" Well done, boys ! You brayed well, and
I recognised you by your voices. That is why
I am here."

At these words the two little donkeys were
quite stupefied, and stood with their heads
down, their ears lowered, and their tails be-
tween their legs.

At first the little man stroked and caressed
them; then taking out a currycomb he curry-
combed them well. And when by this process
he had polished them till they shone like two
mirrors, he put a halter round their necks and
led them to the market-place, in hopes of sell-
ing them and making a good profit.

191

PINOCCHIO 193

And indeed buyers were not wanting.
Candlewick was bought by a peasant whose
donkey had died the previous day. Pinocchio
was sold to the director of a company of buf-
foons and tight-rope dancers, who bought him
that he might teach him to leap and to dance
with the animals belonging to the company.

And now, my little readers, you will have
understood the fine trade that little man pur-
sued. The wicked little monster, who had a
face all milk and honey, made frequent jour-
neys round the world with his coach. As he
went along he collected, with promises and
flattery, all the idle boys who had taken an
aversion to books and school. As soon as his
coach was full he conducted them to the " Land
of Boobies," that they might pass their time
in games, in uproar, and in amusement. When
these poor deluded boys, from continual play
and no study, had become so many little don-
keys, he took possession of them with great
delight and satisfaction, and carried them off
to the fairs and markets to be sold. And in
this way he had in a few years made heaps of
money and had become a millionaire.

What became of Candlewick I do not know;
but I do know that Pinocchio from the very
first day had to endure a hard, laborious life.

When he was put into his stall his master
is

194 PINOCCHIO

filled the manger with straw; but Pinocchio,
having tried a mouthful, spat it out again.

Then his master, grumbling, filled the
manger with hay; but neither did the hay
please him.

" Ah! " exclaimed his master in a passion.
"Does not hay please you either? Leave it
to me, my fine donkey; if you are so full of
caprices I will find a way to cure you! . . ."

And by way of correcting him he struck his
legs with his whip.

Pinocchio began to cry and to bray with
pain, and he said, braying:

" J-a, j-a, I cannot digest straw! . . ."

"Then eat hay!' said his master, who
understood perfectly the asinine dialect.

"J-a, j-a, hay gives me a pain in my
stomach."

" Do you mean to pretend that a little don-
key like you must be kept on breasts of chickens,
and capons in jelly? " asked his master, getting
more and more angry, and whipping him again.

At this second whipping Pinocchio pru-
dently held his tongue and said nothing more.

The stable was then shut and Pinocchio
was left alone. He had not eaten for many
hours, and he began to yawn from hunger.
And when he yawned he opened a mouth that
seemed as wide as an oven.

PINOCCHIO 195

At last, finding nothing else in the manger,
he resigned himself, and chewed a little hay;
and after he had chewed it well, he shut his
eyes and swallowed it.

: This hay is not bad," he said to himself;
* but how much better it would have been if
I had gone on with my studies ! . . . Instead of
hay I might now be eating a hunch of new
bread and a fine slice of sausage! But I must
have patience! . . ."

The next morning when he woke he looked
in the manger for more hay ; but he found none,
for he had eaten it all during the night.

Then he took a mouthful of chopped straw ;
but whilst he was chewing it he had to acknowl-
edge that the taste of chopped straw did not
in the least resemble a savoury dish of maca-
roni or rice.

' But I must have patience! " he repeated
as he went on chewing. ' May my example
serve at least as a warning to all disobedient
boys who do not want to study. Patience! '

' Patience indeed ! ' shouted his master,
coming at that moment into the stable. " Do
you think, my little donkey, that I bought yoii
only to give you food and drink? I bought
you to make you work, and that you might
earn money for me. Up, then, at once! you
must come with me into the circus, and there

196 PINOCCHIO

I will teach you to jump through the hoops, to
go through frames of paper head foremost, to
dance waltzes and polkas, and to stand upright
on your hind legs."

Poor Pinocchio, either by love or by force,
had to learn all these fine things. But it took
him three months before he had learnt them,
and he got many a whipping that nearly took
off his skin.

At last a day came when his master was able
to announce that he would give a really
extraordinary representation. The many-col-
oured placards stuck on the street corners were
thus worded:

GREAT FULL DRESS REPRESENTATION

TO-NIGHT

WILL TAKE PLACE THE USUAL FEATS

AND SURPRISING PERFORMANCES

EXECUTED BY ALL THE ARTISTES

AND BY ALL THE HORSES OF THE COMPANY,

AND MOREOVER

THE FAMOUS

LITTLE DONKEY PINOCCHIO,

CALLED

THE STAR OF THE DANCE,

WILL MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE.

THE THEATRE WILL BE BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATED.

PINOCCHIO 197

On that evening, as you may imagine, an
hour before the play was to begin the theatre
was crammed.

There was not a place to be had either in
the pit or the stalls, or in the boxes even, by
paying its weight in gold.

The benches round the circus were crowded
with children and with boys of all ages, who
were in a fever of impatience to see the famous
little donkey Pinocchio dance.

When the first part of the performance was
over, the director of the company, dressed in
a black coat, white shorts, and big leather boots
that came above his knees, presented himself
to the public, and after making a profound
bow he began with much solemnity the follow-
ing ridiculous speech:

" Respectable public, ladies and gentlemen!
The humble undersigned being a passer-by in
this illustrious city, I have wished to procure
for myself the honour, not to say the pleasure,
of presenting to this intelligent and distin-
guished audience a celebrated little donkey,
who has already had the honour of dancing in
the presence of His Majesty the Emperor of
all the principal Courts of Europe.

" And thanking you, I beg of you to help
us with your inspiring presence and to be
indulgent to us."

198 PINOCCHIO

This speech was received with much laugh-
ter and applause; but the applause redoubled
and became tumultuous when the little donkey
Pinocchio made his appearance in the middle
of the circus. He was decked out for the occa-
sion. He had a new bridle of polished leather
with brass buckles and studs, and two white
camelias in his ears. His mane was divided
and curled, and each curl was tied with bows
of coloured ribbon. He had a girth of gold
and silver round his body, and his tail was
plaited with amaranth and blue velvet ribbons.
He was, in fact, a little donkey to fall in love
with!

The director, in presenting him to the pub-
lic, added these few words :

" My respectable auditors! I am not here
to tell you falsehoods of the great difficulties
that I have overcome in understanding and sub-
jugating this mammifer, whilst he was grazing
at liberty amongst the mountains in the plains
of the torrid zone. I beg you will observe the
wild rolling of his eyes. Every means having
been tried in vain to tame him, and to accustom
him to the life of domestic quadrupeds, I was
often forced to have recourse to the convincing
argument of the whip. But all my goodness
to him, instead of gaining his affections, has,
on the contrary, increased his viciousness.

PINOCCHIO 199

However, following the system of Gall, I dis-
covered in his cranium a bony cartilage, that
the Faculty of Medicine in Paris has itself
recognised as the regenerating bulb of the hair,
and of dance. For this reason I have not only
taught him to dance, but also to jump through
hoops and through frames covered with paper.
Admire him, and then pass your opinion on
him! But before taking my leave of you, per-
mit me, ladies and gentlemen, to invite you
to the daily performance that will take place
to-morrow evening ; but in the apotheosis that
the weather should threaten rain, the perform-
ance will be postponed till to-morrow morning
at 11 antemeridian of postmeridian."

Here the director made another profound
bow ; and then turning to Pinocchio, he said :

" Courage, Pinocchio! before you begin
your feats make your bow to this distinguished
audience — ladies, gentlemen, and children."

Pinocchio obeyed, and bent both his knees
till they touched the ground, and remained
kneeling until the director shouted to him:

"At a foot's pace!"

Then the little donkey raised himself on
his four legs and began to walk round the
theatre, keeping at a foot's pace.

After a little the director cried:

200 PINOCCHIO

" Trot! " and Pinocchio, obeying the order,
changed to a trot.

"Gallop!' and Pinocchio broke into a
gallop.

"Full gallop!' and Pinocchio went full
gallop. But whilst he was going full speed
like a racehorse the director, raising his arm
in the air, fired off a pistol.

At the shot the little donkey, pretending
to be wounded, fell his whole length in the cir-
cus, as if he was really dying.

As he got up from the ground amidst an
outburst of applause, shouts, and clapping of
hands, he naturally raised his head and looked
up ... and he saw in one of the boxes a beau-
tiful lady who wore round her neck a thick
gold chain from which hung a medallion. On
the medallion was painted the portrait of a
puppet.

" That is my portrait! . . . that lady is the
Fairy! " said Pinocchio to himself, recognising
her immediately ; and overcome with delight he
tried to cry:

"Oh, my little Fairy! Oh, my little
Fairy!"

But instead of these words a bray came from
his throat, so sonorous and so prolonged that
all the spectators laughed, and more especially
all the children who were in the theatre.

PINOCCfflO 201

Then the director, to give him a lesson,
and to make him understand that it is not good
manners to bray before the public, gave him a
blow on his nose with the handle of his whip.

The poor little donkey put his tongue out
an inch, and licked his nose for at least five
minutes, thinking perhaps that it would ease
the pain he felt.

But what was his despair when, looking up
a second time, he saw that the box was empty
and that the Fairy had disappeared! . . .

He thought he was going to die: his eyes
filled with tears and he began to weep. No-
body, however, noticed it, and least of all the
director who, cracking his whip, shouted :

" Courage, Pinocchio! Now let the audi-
ence see how gracefully you can jump through
the hoops."

Pinocchio tried two or three times, but each
time that he came in front of the hoop, instead
of going through it, he found it easier to go
under it. At last he made a leap and went
through it; but his right leg unfortunately
caught in the hoop, and that caused him to fall
to the ground doubled up in a heap on the
other side.

When he got up he was lame, and it was
only with great difficulty that he managed to
return to the stable.

202 PINOCCHIO

" Bring out Pinocchio ! We want the little
donkey ! Bring out the little donkey ! " shouted
all the boys in the theatre, touched and soriy
for the sad accident.

But the little donkey was seen no more that
evening.

The following morning the veterinary, that
is, the doctor of animals, paid him a visit, and
declared that he would remain lame for life.

The director then said to the stable-boy:

" What do you suppose I can do with a
lame donkey? He would eat food without earn-
ing it. Take him to the market and sell him."

When they reached the market a purchaser
was found at once. He asked the stable-boy:

"How much do you want for that lame
donkey? '

" Twenty francs."

" I will give you twenty pence. Don't sup-
pose that I am buying him to make use of; I
am buying him solely for his skin. I see that
his skin is very hard, and I intend to make a
drum with it for the band of my village."

I leave it to my readers to imagine poor
Pinocchio's feelings when he heard that he was
destined to become a drum!

As soon as the purchaser had paid his
twenty pence he conducted the little donkey to

PINOCCHIO 203

the seashore. He then put a stone round his
neck, and tying a rope, the end of which he
held in his hand, round his leg, he gave him a
sudden push and threw him into the water.

Pinocchio, weighed down by the stone, went
at once to the bottom ; and his owner, keeping
tight hold of the cord, sat down quietly on a
piece of rock to wait until the little donkey was
drowned, intending then to skin him.

XXXIV

PINOCCHIO, HAVING BEEN THROWN INTO THE
SEA, IS EATEN BY THE FISH AND BECOMES A
PUPPET AS HE AY AS BEFORE. WHILST HE IS
SWIMMING AWAY TO SAVE HIS LIFE HE IS
SWALLOWED BY THE TERRIBLE DOG-FISH

ATER Pinocchio had been fifty minutes
under the water, his purchaser said
aloud to himself:

' My poor little lame donkey must by this
time be quite drowned. I will therefore pull
him out of the water, and I will make a fine
drum of his skin."

And he began to haul in the rope that he
had tied to the donkey's leg; and he hauled,
and hauled, and hauled, until at last . . . what
do you think appeared above the water? In-
stead of a little dead donkey he saw a live pup-
pet, who was wriggling like an eel.

Seeing this wooden puppet the poor man
thought he was dreaming, and, struck dumb
with astonishment, he remained with his mouth
open and his eyes starting out of his head.

Having somewhat recovered from his first
stupefaction, he asked in a quavering voice :

" And the little donkey that I threw into
the sea? What has become of him? "

204

PINOCCHIO 205

" I am the little donkey 1 " said Pinocchio,
laughing.

"You?"

'I."

" Ah, you young scamp ! Do you dare to
make game of me? '

" To make game of you? Quite the
contrary, my dear master; I am speaking
seriously."

' But how can you, who, but a short time
ago, were a little donkey, have become a wooden
puppet, only from having been left in the
water? '

' It must have been the effect of sea- water.
The sea makes extraordinary changes."

'Beware, puppet, beware! . . . Don't
imagine that you can amuse yourself at my
expense. Woe to you, if I lose patience ! . . ."

" Well, master, do you wish to know the
true story? If you will set my leg free I will
tell it you."

The good man, who was curious to hear the
true story, immediately untied the knot that
kept him bound ; and Pinocchio, rinding himself
as free as a bird in the air, commenced as
follows :

" You must know that I was once a pup-
pet as I am now, and I was on the point of
becoming a boy like the many that there are

206 PINOCCHIO

in the world. But instead, induced by my dis-
like to study and the advice of bad companions,
I ran away from home . . . and one fine day
when I awoke I found myself changed into a
donkey with long ears . . . and a long tail ! . . .
What a disgrace it was to me! — a disgrace,
dear master, that the blessed St. Anthony
would not inflict even upon you! Taken to
the market to be sold I was bought by the
director of an equestrian company, who took
it into his head to make a famous dancer of
me, and a famous leaper through hoops. But
one night during a performance I had a bad
fall in the circus and lamed both my legs. Then
the director, not knowing what to do with a
lame donkey, sent me to be sold, and you were
the purchaser! . . ."

' Only too true ! And I paid twenty pence
for you. And now who will give me back my
poor pennies? '

"And why did you buy me? You bought
me to make a drum of my skin ! . . . a drum ! . . ."

" Only too true ! And now where shall I
find another skin? ..."

" Don't despair, master. There are such a
number of little donkeys in the world ! "

' Tell me, you impertinent rascal, does
your story end here? '

"No," answered the puppet; "I have

PINOCCHIO 207

another two words to say and then I shall have
finished. After you had bought me you brought
me to this place to kill me; but then, yielding
to a feeling of compassion, you preferred to
tie a stone round my neck and to throw me into
the sea. This humane feeling does you great
honour, and I shall always be grateful to you
for it. But nevertheless, dear master, this time
you made your calculations without considering
the Fairy! . . ."

" And who is this Fairy? "

' She is my mamma, and she resembles all
other good mammas who care for their chil-
dren, and who never lose sight of them, but
help them lovingly, even when, on account of
their foolishness and evil conduct, they deserve
to be abandoned and left to themselves. Well,
then, the good Fairy, as soon as she saw that
I was in danger of drowning, sent immedi-
ately an immense shoal of fish, who, believing
me really to be a little dead donkey, began to
eat me. And what mouthfuls they took! I
should never have thought that fish were
greedier than boys! . . . Some ate my ears, some
my muzzle, others my neck and mane, some the
skin of my legs, some my coat . . . and amongst
them there was a little fish so polite that he
even condescended to eat my tail."

" From this time forth," said his purchaser,

208 PINOCCHIO

horrified, " I swear that I will never touch fish.
It would be too dreadful to open a mullet, or
a fried whiting, and to find inside a donkey's
tail!'

' I agree with you," said the puppet, laugh-
ing. ' However, I must tell you that when
the fish had finished eating the donkey's hide
that covered me from head to foot, they natur-
ally reached the bone ... or rather the wood,
for as you see I am made of the hardest wood.
But after giving a few bites they soon discov-
ered that I was not a morsel for their teeth,
and, disgusted with such indigestible food, they
went off, some in one direction and some in
another, without so much as saying thank you
to me. And now, at last, I have told you how
it was that when you pulled up the rope you
found a live puppet instead of a dead donkey."

' I laugh at your story," cried the man in a
rage. " I know only that I spent twenty pence
to buy you, and I will have my money back.
Shall I tell you what I will do? I will take
you back to the market and I will sell you by
weight as seasoned wood for lighting fires."

" Sell me if you like; I am content," said
Pinocchio.

But as he said it he made a spring and
plunged into the water. Swimming gaily away
from the shore he called to his poor owner:

HE SWAM WITH REDOUBLED STRENGTH AND ENERGY TOWARD THE

WHITE ROCK

TW N?

1. 1 BRA BY

*• 1>X AVM
&
L

PINOCCHIO 209

" Good-bye, master; if you should be in
want of a skin to make a drum, remember me."

And he laughed and went on swimming;
and after a while he turned again and shouted
louder :

" Good-bye, master; if you should be in
want of a little well-seasoned wood for lighting
the fire, remember me."

In the twinkling of an eye he had swum so
far off that he was scarcely visible. All that
could be seen of him was a little black speck
on the surface of the sea that from time to
time lifted its legs out of the water and leapt
and capered like a dolphin enjoying himself.

Whilst Pinocchio was swimming he knew
not whither, he saw in the midst of the sea a
rock that seemed to be made of white marble,
and on the summit there stood a beautiful little
goat who bleated lovingly and made signs to
him to approach.

But the most singular thing was this. The
little goat's hair, instead of being white or black,
or a mixture of two colours as is usual with
other goats, was blue, and of a very vivid blue,
greatly resembling the hair of the beautiful
Child.

I leave you to imagine how rapidly poor
Pinocchio's heart began to beat. He swam
with redoubled strength and energy towards

210 PINOCCHIO

the white rock; and he was already half-way
when he saw, rising up out of the water and
coming to meet him, the horrible head of a sea-
monster. His wide-open cavernous mouth and
his three rows of enormous teeth would have
been terrifying to look at even in a picture.

And do you know what this sea-monster
was?

This sea-monster was neither more nor less
than that gigantic Dog-fish who has been men-
tioned many times in this story, and who, for
his slaughter and for his insatiable voracity,
had been named the "Attila of fish and fisher-

men.'

Only think of poor Pinocchio's terror at
the sight of the monster. He tried to avoid it,
to change his direction ; he tried to escape ; but
that immense wide-open mouth came towards
him with the velocity of an arrow.

" Be quick, Pinocchio, for pity's sake," cried
the beautiful little goat, bleating.

And Pinocchio swam desperately with his
arms, his chest, his legs, and his feet.

" Quick, Pinocchio, the monster is close
upon you! . . ."

And Pinocchio swam quicker than ever, and
flew on with the rapidity of a ball from a gun.
He had nearly reached the rock, and the little

PINOCCHIO 211

goat, leaning over towards the sea, had
stretched out her fore-legs to help him out of
the water! . . .

But it was too late ! The monster had over-
taken him, and, drawing in his breath, he sucked
in the poor puppet as he would have sucked a
hen's egg ; and he swallowed him with such vio-
lence and avidity that Pinocchio, in falling into
the Dog-fish's stomach, received such a blow
that he remained unconscious for a quarter of
an hour afterwards.

When he came to himself again after the
shock he could not in the least imagine in what
world he was. All round him it was quite
dark, and the darkness was so black and so
profound that it seemed to him that he had
fallen head downwards into an inkstand full
of ink. He listened, but he could hear no
noise; only from time to time great gusts of
wind blew in his face. At first he could not
understand where the wind came from, but at
last he discovered that it came out of the
monster's lungs. For you must know that the
Dog-fish suffered very much from asthma, and
when he breathed it was exactly as if a north
wind was blowing.

Pinocchio at first tried to keep up his cour-
age ; but when he had one proof after another

212 PINOCCHIO

that he was really shut up in the body of this
sea-monster he began to cry and to sob out:

" Help! help! Oh, how unfortunate I am!
Will nobody come to save me? '

' Who do you think could save you, un-
happy wretch? ..." said a voice in the dark
that sounded like a guitar out of tune.

" Who is speaking? ' asked Pinocchio,
frozen with terror.

' ' It is I! I am a poor Tunny who was
swallowed by the Dog-fish at the same time
that you were. And what fish are you? '

" I have nothing in common with fish. I am
a puppet."

" Then if you are not a fish, why did you
let yourself be swallowed by the monster? '

" I didn't let myself be swallowed: it was
the monster swallowed me! And now, what
are we to do here in the dark? '

" Resign ourselves and wait until the Dog-
fish has digested us both."

" But I do not want to be digested ! " howled
Pinocchio, beginning to cry again.

" Neither do I want to be digested," added
the Tunny; " but I am enough of a philosopher
to console myself by thinking that when one is
born a Tunny it is more dignified to die in the
water than in oil."

PINOCCHIO 213

" That is all nonsense I " cried Pinocchio.

" It is my opinion," replied the Tunny;
" and opinions, so say the political Tunnies,
ought to be respected."

" To sum it all up ... I want to get away
from here ... I want to escape."
' Escape if you are able! . . ."

" Is this Dog-fish who has swallowed us
very big? " asked the puppet.

" Big! Why, only imagine, his body is
two miles long without counting his tail."

Whilst they were holding this conversation
in the dark, Pinocchio thought that he saw a
light a long way off.

' What is that little light I see in the dis-
tance? " he asked.

' It is most likely some companion in mis-
fortune who is waiting like us to be digested."

' I will go and find him. Do you not think
that it may by chance be some old fish who
perhaps could show us how to escape? '

' I hope it may be so with all my heart, dear
puppet."

" Good-bye, Tunny."

* Good-bye, puppet, and good fortune
attend you."

"Where shall we meet again? . . ."

" Who can say? ... It is better not even to
think of it!"

XXXV

PINOCCHIO FINDS IN THE BODY OF THE DOG-
FISH . . . WHOM DOES HE FIND? READ THIS
CHAPTER AND YOU WILL KNOW

PINOCCHIO, having taken leave of his
friend the Tunny, began to grope his way
in the dark through the body of the Dog-
fish, taking a step at a time in the direction
of the light that he saw shining dimly at a
great distance.

The farther he advanced the brighter be-
came the light ; and he walked and walked until
at last he reached it: and when he reached it
. . . what did he find? I will give you a thou-
sand guesses. He found a little table spread
out, and on it a lighted candle stuck into a
green glass bottle, and seated at the table was
a little old man. He was eating some live fish,
and they were so very much alive that whilst
he was eating them they sometimes even
jumped out of his mouth.

At this sight Pinocchio was filled with such
great and unexpected joy that he became
almost delirious. He wanted to laugh, he
wanted to cry, he wanted to say a thousand
things, and instead he could only stammer out
a few confused and broken words. At last he
succeeded in uttering a cry of joy, and opening

214

PINOCCHIO 215

his arms he threw them round the little old
man's neck, and began to shout:

' Oh, my dear papa! I have found you
at last! I will never leave you more, never
more, never more! '

" Then my eyes tell me true? ' said the
little old man, rubbing his eyes; " then you are
really my dear Pinocchio ? '

Yes, yes, I am Pinocchio, really Pinoc-
chio! And you have quite forgiven me, have
you not? Oh, my dear papa, how good you
are! . . . and to think that I, on the contrary
. . . Oh ! but if you only knew what misfortunes
have been poured on my head, and all that has
befallen me ! Only imagine, the day that you,
poor dear papa, sold your coat to buy me a
Spelling-book that I might go to school, I
escaped to see the puppet-show, and the show-
man wanted to put me on the fire that I might
roast his mutton, and he was the same that
afterwards gave me five gold pieces to take
them to you, but I met the Fox and the Cat,
who took me to the inn of the Red Craw-fish,
where they ate like wolves, and I left by myself
in the middle of the night, and I encountered
assassins who ran after me, and I ran away,
and they followed, and I ran, and they always
followed me, and I ran, until they hung me to
a branch of a Big Oak, and the beautiful Child

216 PINOCCHIO

with blue hair sent a little carriage to fetch
me, and the doctors when they had seen me
said immediately, 'If he is not dead, it is a
proof that he is still alive ' — and then by chance
I told a lie, and my nose began to grow until
I could no longer get through the door of the
room, for which reason I went with the Fox
and the Cat to bury the four gold pieces, for
one I had spent at the inn, and the Parrot
began to laugh, and instead of two thousand
gold pieces I found none left, for which reason
the judge when he heard that I had been robbed
had me immediately put in prison to content
the robbers, and then when I was coming away
I saw a beautiful bunch of grapes in a field, and
I was caught in a trap, and the peasant, who
was quite right, put a dog-collar round my
neck that I might guard the poultry-yard, and
acknowledging my innocence let me go, and
the Serpent with the smoking tail began to
laugh and broke a blood-vessel in his chest,
and so I returned to the house of the beautiful
Child who was dead, and the Pigeon, seeing
that I was crying, said to me, ' I have seen
your father who was building a little boat to
go in search of you,' and I said to him, ' Oh!
if I had also wings,' and he said to me, * Do
you want to go to your father? ' and I said,
' Without doubt! but who will take me to him? '

PINOCCHIO 217

and he said to me, ' I will take you,' and I said
to him, ' How? ' and he said to me, ' Get on
my back,' and so we flew all night, and then
in the morning all the fishermen who were look-
ing out to sea said to me, ' There is a poor man
in a boat who is on the point of being drowned,'
and I recognised you at once, even at that dis-
tance, for my heart told me, and I made signs
to you to return to land . . ."

' I also recognised you," said Geppetto,
" and I would willingly have returned to the
shore : but what was I to do ! The sea was tre-
mendous, and a great wave upset my boat.
Then a horrible Dog-fish who was near, as soon
as he saw me in the water, came towards me,
and putting out his tongue took hold of me,
and swallowed me as if I had been a little
Bologna tart."

' And how long have you been shut up
here? " asked Pinocchio.

' Since that day — it must be nearly two
years ago: two years, my dear Pinocchio, that
have seemed to me like two centuries ! '

" And how have you managed to live ? And
where did you get the candle ? And the matches
to light it? Who gave them to you? '

* Stop, and I will tell you everything. You
must know, then, that in the same storm in
which my boat was upset a merchant vessel

218 PINOCCHIO

foundered. The sailors were all saved, but the
vessel went to the bottom, and the Dog-fish,
who had an excellent appetite, after he had
swallowed me, swallowed the vessel. . . ."

" How? "

' He swallowed it in one mouthful, and the
only thing that he spat out was the mainmast,
that had stuck between his teeth like a fish-
bone. Fortunately for me the vessel was laden
with preserved meat in tins, biscuit, bottles of
wine, dried raisins, cheese, coffee, sugar,
candles, and boxes of wax matches. With this
providential supply I have been able to live
for two years. But I have arrived at the end of
my resources : there is nothing left in the larder,
and this candle is the last that remains . . . '

"And after that?"

" After that, dear boy, we shall both re-
main in the dark."

" Then, dear little papa," said Pinocchio,
' there is no time to lose. We must think of
escaping . . ."

" Of escaping? . . . and how? '

' We must escape through the mouth of the
Dog-fish, jump into the sea and swim away."

"You talk well: but, dear Pinocchio, I
don't know how to swim."

" What does that matter? ... I am a good

PINOCCHIO 219

swimmer, and you can get on my shoulders and
I will carry you safely to shore."

' All illusions, my boy! " replied Geppetto,

shaking his head, with a melancholy smile.

' Do you suppose it possible that a puppet like

you, scarcely a metre high, could have the

strength to swim with me on his shoulders ! '

" Try it and you will see ! '

Without another word Pinocchio took the
candle in his hand, and going in front to light
the way, he said to his father :

" Follow me, and don't be afraid."

And they walked for some time and
traversed the body and the stomach of the Dog-
fish. But when they had arrived at the point
where the monster's big throat began, they
thought it better to stop to give a good look
round and to choose the best moment for
escaping.

Now I must tell you that the Dog-fish,
being very old, and suffering from asthma and
palpitation of the heart, was obliged to sleep
with his mouth open. Pinocchio, therefore,
having approached the entrance to his throat
and, looking up, could see beyond the enormous
gaping mouth a large piece of starry sky and
beautiful moonlight.

" This is the moment to escape," he whis-
pered, turning to his father ; " the Dog-fish is

220 PINOCCHIO

sleeping like a dormouse, the sea is calm, and
it is as light as day. Follow me, dear papa, and
in a short time we shall be in safety."

They immediately climbed up the throat of
the sea-monster, and having reached his im-
mense mouth they began to walk on tiptoe down
his tongue.

Before taking the final leap the puppet
said to his father:

" Get on my shoulders and put your arms
round my neck. I will take care of the rest."

As soon as Geppetto was firmly settled on
his son's shoulders, Pinocchio, feeling sure of
himself, threw himself into the water and began
to swim. The sea was as smooth as oil, the
moon shone brilliantly, and the Dog-fish was
sleeping so profoundly that even a cannonade
would have failed to wake him.

XXXVI

PINOCCHIO AT LAST CEASES TO BE A PUPPET
AND BECOMES A BOY

WHILST Pinocchio was swimming
quickly towards the shore he discov-
ered that his father, who was on his
shoulders with his legs in the water, was trem-
bling as violently as if the poor man had got
an attack of ague fever.

Was he trembling from cold or from fear?
. . . Perhaps a little from both the one and the
other. But Pinocchio, thinking that it was
from fear, said to comfort him:

" Courage, papa! In a few minutes we
shall be safely on shore."

"But where is this blessed shore?" asked
the little old man, becoming still more fright-
ened, and screwing up his eyes as tailors do
when they wish to thread a needle. ' I have
been looking in every direction and I see noth-
ing but the sky and the sea."

' But I see the shore as well," said the
puppet. You must know that I am like a
cat: I see better by night than by day."

Poor Pinocchio was making a pretence of
being in good spirits, but in reality ... in
reality he was beginning to feel discouraged:
his strength was failing, he was gasping and

221

222 PINOCCHIO

panting for breath ... he could do no more,
and the shore was still far off.

He swam until he had no breath left; then
he turned his head to Geppetto and said in
broken words:

" Papa . . . help me ... I am dying! . . ."

The father and son were on the point of
drowning when they heard a voice like a guitar
out of tune saying:

" Who is it that is dying? '

" It is I, and my poor father! . . ."

" I know that voice! You are Pinocchio! '

" Precisely: and you? '

" I am the Tunny, your prison companion
in the body of the Dog-fish."

" And how did you manage to escape? '

" I followed your example. You showed
me the road, and I escaped after you."

" Tunny, you have arrived at the right mo-
ment! I implore you to help us, or we are
lost."

" Willingly and with all my heart. You
must, both of you, take hold of my tail and
leave me to guide you. I will take you on shore
in four minutes."

Geppetto and Pinocchio, as I need not tell
you, accepted the offer at once ; but instead of
holding on by his tail they thought it would be

PINOCCHIO 223

more comfortable to get on the Tunny's back.

Having reached the shore Pinocchio sprang
first on land that he might help his father to
do the same. He then turned to the Tunny,
and said to him in a voice full of emotion:

" My friend, you have saved my papa's life.
I can find no words with which to thank you
properly. Permit me at least to give you a
kiss as a sign of my eternal gratitude ! . . ."

The Tunny put his head out of the water,
and Pinocchio, kneeling on the ground, kissed
him tenderly on the mouth. At this spon-
taneous proof of warm affection, the poor
Tunny, who was not accustomed to it, felt
extremely touched, and ashamed to let himself
be seen crying like a child, he plunged under
the water and disappeared.

By this time the day had dawned. Pinoc-
chio then offering his arm to Geppetto, who
had scarcely breath to stand, said to him:

" Lean on my arm, dear papa, and let us
go. We will walk very slowly like the ants
and when we are tired we can rest by the way-
side."

" And where shall we go? " asked Geppetto.

" In search of some house or cottage, where
they will give us for charity a mouthful of
bread, and a little straw to serve as a bed."

224 PINOCCHIO

They had not gone a hundred yards when
they saw by the roadside two villainous-looking
individuals begging.

They were the Cat and the Fox, but they
were scarcely recognisable. Fancy! the Cat
had so long feigned blindness that she had be-
come blind in reality ; and the Fox, old, mangy,
and with one side paralysed, had not even his
tail left. That sneaking thief, having fallen
into the most squalid misery, one fine day had
found himself obliged to sell his beautiful tail
to a travelling pedlar, who bought it to drive
away flies.

" Oh, Pinocchio ! " cried the Fox, " give a
little in charity to two poor infirm people."

" Infirm people," repeated the Cat.

"Begone, impostors!" answered the pup-
pet. " You took me in once, but you will never
catch me again."

' Believe me, Pinocchio, we are now poor
and unfortunate indeed! '

" If you are poor, you deserve it. Recollect
the proverb: ' Stolen money never fructifies.'
Begone, impostors ! '

And thus saying Pinocchio and Geppetto
went their way in peace. When they had gone
another hundred yards they saw, at the end of
a path in the middle of the fields, a nice little
straw hut with a roof of tiles and bricks.

PINOCCHIO 225

" That hut must be inhabited by some one,"
said Pinocchio. " Let us go and knock at the
door."

They went and knocked.

"Who is there?' said a little voice from
within.

" We are a poor father and son without
bread and without a roof," answered the
puppet.

" Turn the key and the door will open,"
said the same little voice.

Pinocchio turned the key and the door
opened. They went in and looked here, there,
and everywhere, but could see no one.

"Oh! where is the master of the house?'
said Pinocchio, much surprised.

" Here I am up here! '

The father and son looked immediately up
to the ceiling, and there on a beam they saw
the Talking-cricket.

" Oh, my dear little Cricket! " said Pinoc-
chio, bowing politely to him.

" Ah! now you call me ' Your dear little
Cricket.' But do you remember the time when
you threw the handle of a hammer at me, to
drive me from your house? . . ."

" You are right, Cricket! Drive me away
also . . . throw the handle of a hammer at me;
but have pity on my poor papa . . ."
is

226 riNoccmo

* I will have pity on both father and son,
but I wished to remind you of the ill treatment
I received from you, to teach you that in this
world, when it is possible, we should show cour-
tesy to everybody, if we wish it to be extended
to us in our hour of need."

You are right, Cricket, you are right, and
I will bear in mind the lesson you have given
me. But tell me how you managed to buy
this beautiful hut."

" This hut was given to me yesterday by a
goat whose wool was of a beautiful blue colour."

"And where has the goat gone?' asked
Pinocchio with lively curiosity.

" I do not know."

" And when will it come back? . . ."

" It will never come back. It went away
yesterday in great grief and, bleating, it seemed
to say : * Poor Pinocchio ... I shall never see
him more ... by this time the Dog-fish must
have devoured him! . . .'

" Did it really say that? . . . Then it was
she! ... it was she! ... it was my dear little
Fairy! . . ." exclaimed Pinocchio.

When he had cried for some time he dried
his eyes, and prepared a comfortable bed of
straw for Geppetto to lie down upon. Then
he asked the Cricket:

PINOCCHIO 22?

s* Tell me, little Cricket, where can I find
a tumbler of milk for my poor papa? '

' Three fields off from here there lives a
gardener called Giangio who keeps cows. Go
to him and you will get the milk you are in
want of."

Pinocchio ran all the way to Giangio's
house ; and the gardener asked him :

" How much milk do you want? '

" I want a tumblerful."

" A tumbler of milk costs a halfpenny. Be-
gin by giving me the halfpenny."

" I have not even a farthing," replied
Pinocchio, grieved and mortified.

" That is bad, puppet," answered the gar-
dener. "If you have not even a farthing, I
have not even a drop of milk."

"I must have patience!' said Pinocchio,
and he turned to go.

" Wait a little," said Giangio. " We can
come to an arrangement together. Will you
undertake to turn the pumping machine? '

" What is the pumping machine? '

" It is a wooden pole which serves to draw
up the water from the cistern to water the
vegetables."

" You can try me . . ."

" Well, then, if you will draw a hundred

228 PINOCCHIO

buckets of water, I will give you in compensa-
tion a tumbler of milk."

' It is a bargain."

Giangio then led Pinocchio to the kitchen
garden and taught him how to turn the pump-
ing machine. Pinocchio immediately began to
work ; but before he had drawn up the hundred
buckets of water the perspiration was pouring
from his head to his feet. Never before had
he undergone such fatigue.

" Up till now," said the gardener, " the
labour of turning the pumping machine was
performed by my little donkey; but the poor
animal is dying."

" Will you take me to see him? ' said
Pinocchio.

" Willingly."

When Pinocchio went into the stable he
saw a beautiful little donkey stretched on the
straw, worn out from hunger and overwork.
After looking at him earnestly he said to him-
self, much troubled:

" I am sure I know this little donkey ! His
face is not new to me."

And bending over him he asked him in
asinine language:

"Who are you?"

At this question the little donkey opened

PINOCCHIO 229

his dying eyes, and answered in broken words
in the same language :

" I am . . . Can ... die ... wick . . ."

And having again closed his eyes he expired.

" Oh, poor Candlewick ! " said Pinocchio in
a low voice; and taking a handful of straw he
dried a tear that was rolling down his face.

" Do you grieve for a donkey that cost you
nothing? " said the gardener. " What must it
be to me who bought him for ready money? '

" I must tell you ... he was my friend ! "

"Your friend?"

" One of my schoolfellows I ..."

" How? " shouted Giangio, laughing loudly.
" How? had you donkeys for schoolfellows? . . .
I can imagine what wonderful studies you must
have made! . . ."

The puppet, who felt much mortified at
these words, did not answer; but taking his
tumbler of milk, still quite warm, he returned
to the hut.

And from that day for more than five
months he continued to get up at daybreak
every morning to go and turn the pumping
machine, to earn the tumbler of milk that was
of such benefit to his father in his bad state of
health. Nor was he satisfied with this ; for dur-
ing the time that he had over he learnt to make
hampers and baskets of rushes, and with the

230 PINOCCHIO

money he obtained by selling them he was able
with great economy to provide for all the daily
expenses. Amongst other things he constructed
an elegant little wheel-chair, in which he could
take his father out on fine days to breathe a
mouthful of fresh air.

By his industry, ingenuity, and his anxiety
to work and to overcome difficulties, he not
only succeeded in maintaining his father, who
continued infirm, in comfort, but he also con-
trived to put aside forty pence to buy himself
a new coat.

One morning he said to his father:

" 1 am going to the neighbouring market
to buy myself a jacket, a cap, and a pair of
shoes. When I return," he added, laughing,
" I shall be so well dressed that you will take
me for a fine gentleman."

And leaving the house he began to run mer-
rily and happily along. All at once he heard
himself called by name, and turning round he
saw a big Snail crawling out from the hedge.

" Do you not know me? " asked the Snail.

" It seems to me ... and yet I am not
sure . . ."

" Do you not remember the Snail who was
lady's-maid to the Fairy with blue hair? Do
you not remember the time when I came down-
stairs to let you in, and you were caught by

PINOCCHIO 231

your foot which you had stuck through the
house door? '

" I remember it all," shouted Pinocchio.
" Tell me quickly, my beautiful little Snail,
where have you left my good Fairy? What is
she doing? has she forgiven me? does she still
remember me? does she still wish me well? is
she far from here? can I go and see her? '

To all these rapid, breathless questions the
Snail replied in her usual phlegmatic manner:

* My dear Pinocchio, the poor Fairy is
lying in bed at the hospital ! . . ."

"At the hospital? . . ."

' It is only too true. Overtaken by a thou-
sand misfortunes she has fallen seriously ill,
and she has not even enough to buy herself a
mouthful of bread."

* Is it really so? ... Oh, what sorrow you
have given me! Oh, poor Fairy! poor Fairy!
poor Fairy! ... If I had a million I would run
and carry it to her . . . but I have only forty
pence . . . here they are : I was going to buy a
new coat. Take them, Snail, and carry them
at once to my good Fairy."

' And your new coat? . . ."

' What matters my new coat? I would
sell even these rags that I have got on to be
able to help her. Go, Snail, and be quick; and
in two days return to this place, for I hope I

232 PINOCCHIO

shall then be able to give you some more money.
Up to this time I have worked to maintain my
papa : from to-day I will work five hours more
that I may also maintain my good mamma.
Good-bye, I shall expect you in two days."

The Snail, contrary to her usual habits,
began to run like a lizard in a hot August sun.

That evening Pinocchio, instead of going
to bed at ten o'clock, sat up till midnight had
struck; and instead of making eight baskets of
rushes he made sixteen.

Then he went to bed and fell asleep. And
whilst he slept he thought that he saw the Fairy
smiling and beautiful, who, kissing him, said :

' Well done, Pinocchio ! To reward you
for your good heart I will forgive you for all
that is past. Boys who minister tenderly to
their parents, and assist them in their misery
and infirmities, are deserving of great praise
and affection, even if they cannot be cited as
examples of obedience and good behaviour.
Try and do better in the future and you will
be happy."

At this moment his dream ended, and
Pinocchio opened his eyes and awoke.

But imagine his astonishment when upon
awakening he discovered that he was no longer
a wooden puppet, but that he had become in-
stead a boy, like all other boys. He gave a

PINOCCHIO 233

glance round and saw that the straw walls of
the hut had disappeared, and that he was in
a pretty little room furnished and arranged
with a simplicity that was almost elegance.
Jumping out of bed he found a new suit of
clothes ready for him, a new cap, and a pair
of new leather boots that fitted him beautifully.

He was hardly dressed when he naturally
put his hands in his pockets, and pulled out a
little ivory purse on which these words were
written: ; The Fairy with blue hair returns
the forty pence to her dear Pinocchio, and
thanks him for his good heart." He opened
the purse, and instead of forty copper pennies
he saw forty shining gold pieces fresh from the
mint.

He then went and looked at himself in the
glass, and he thought he was some one else.
For he no longer saw the usual reflection of a
wooden puppet; he was greeted instead by the
image of a bright, intelligent boy with chest-
nut hair, blue eyes, and looking as happy and
joyful as if it were the Easter holidays.

In the midst of all these wonders succeed-
ing each other Pinocchio felt quite bewildered,
and he could not tell if he was really awake or
if he was dreaming with his eyes open.

' Where can my papa be? ' he exclaimed
suddenly, and going into the next room he

234 PINOCCHIO

found old Geppetto quite well, lively, and in
good humour, just as he had been formerly.
He had already resumed his trade of wood-
carving, and he was designing a beautiful frame
of leaves, flowers, and the heads of animals.

" Satisfy my curiosity, dear papa," said
Pinocchio, throwing his arms round his neck
and covering him with kisses; " how can this
sudden change be accounted for? '

" This sudden change in our home is all your
doing," answered Geppetto.

' How my doing? '

" Because when bovs who have behaved

badly turn over a new leaf and become good,
they have the power of bringing content and
happiness to their families."

" And where has the old wooden Pinocchio
hidden himself? '

" There he is," answered Geppetto, and he
pointed to a big puppet leaning against a chair,
with its head on one side, its arms dangling,
and its legs so crossed and bent that it was
really a miracle that it remained standing.

Pinocchio turned and looked at it ; and after
he had looked at it for a short time, he said to
himself with great complacency:

* How ridiculous I was when I was a pup-
pet! and how glad I am that I have become a
well-behaved little boy? . . ."

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